Current Nationwide
Threat Level
Homeland
Security
ELEVATED
Daily Open Source Infrastructure
Report for 20 July 2009
Significant Risk of Terrorist Attacks
For information, click here:
http://www.dhs.gov
Top Stories

CBS News and the Associated Press report that Minneola, Florida officials were forced to
change the locks on every city-owned building because a truck with all the keys inside was
stolen over the July 11 weekend. Officials said on July 14 that about 150 locks had to be
changed. (See item 27)

According to Bloomberg, suicide bombers attacked the Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott
hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 17, killing eight people and injuring at least 53. The
attackers may have stayed at the Marriott, said an adviser to the Indonesian president. (See
item 39)
Fast Jump Menu
PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES
● Energy
● Chemical
● Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste
● Critical Manufacturing
● Defense Industrial Base
● Dams Sector
SERVICE INDUSTRIES
● Banking and Finance
● Transportation
● Postal and Shipping
● Information Technology
● Communications
● Commercial Facilities
SUSTENANCE AND HEALTH
● Agriculture and Food
FEDERAL AND STATE
● Government Facilities
●
Water Sector
●
Emergency Services
●
Public Health and Healthcare
●
National Monuments and Icons
Energy Sector
Current Electricity Sector Threat Alert Levels: Physical: ELEVATED,
Cyber: ELEVATED
Scale: LOW, GUARDED, ELEVATED, HIGH, SEVERE [Source: ISAC for the Electricity Sector (ES−ISAC) −
[http://www.esisac.com]
1. July 17, Bloomberg – (Texas) Exxon sabotaged wells, should be fined, Texas land
office says. Exxon Mobil Corp., the largest U.S. oil company, may be fined more than
$1 billion for “malicious” sabotage of wells to prevent other producers from tapping
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fields it no longer wanted, the Texas general land office said. A commissioner of the
land office that oversees oil leases that help fund Texas schools, asked the Texas
Railroad Commission to conduct hearings into an alleged 1990s program at Exxon
Mobil of plugging abandoned wells with trash, sludge, explosives and cement plugs.
The barriers made it impossible for other producers to revive the wells, he said in a
statement he gave to Bloomberg News on July 16. “Exxon committed irrefutable,
intentional and flagrant violations of state rules regulating the oilfield,” he said in the
statement. “The senseless waste of our natural resources, the sabotage of a producing
oilfield and cover-up by Exxon is a malicious act that must be dealt with by the state of
Texas.” An Exxon Mobil spokeswoman stated, “The area in which the wells are located
has a water table very close to the surface. It was critical that Exxon protect the
groundwater by plugging the wells solidly and thoroughly.” The Railroad Commission
in Austin has not decided whether to hold hearings on the well closings, said a
spokeswoman for the agency. The three commissioners are scheduled to meet on July
21. One person confirmed the agency has the authority to fine companies $10,000 a day
for improperly plugging an old well.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=apaHKiMnL4Qk
2. July 17, Associated Press – (Illinois) 2 injured in explosion at Chicago factory.
Officials say an explosion at a Chicago biodiesel manufacturing plant that injured two
workers on July 17 was caused by a chemical reaction. A deputy fire chief says the
reaction caused a partial collapse of the one-story Columbus Foods plant. The explosion
sent bricks and debris flying hundreds of feet in the air and temporarily shut down some
commuter train lines. The quality control supervisor at the plant says two workers were
mixing chemicals when a reaction caused the explosion. He says the plant manufactures
biodiesel out of vegetable oil. The manager says one worker received scratches and the
other was splashed with chemicals. The fire chief says hazardous materials teams have
deemed the building safe.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hHTGFOFWRyhVrogQ01rl18D6JPAD99GAIRO0
3. July 16, Associated Press – (International) Letter threatens EnCana with more
pipeline blasts. A threatening letter says that energy company EnCana Corp. has three
months to start shutting down its oil and gas operations in western Canada or face more
pipeline bombings. The Dawson Creek Daily News reported on July 16 that the twopage letter it received promises an end to the attacks if Encana complies to pull out of
the northeastern British Columbia area within five years. The newspaper received the
letter the week of July 13 and forwarded it to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. “You
have three months to convince the residents here and the general public that you will
commit to this program, meaning that all action against you will cease for three months
from the time of this note,” said the letter. “We can all have a summer vacation
including your security personnel and the RCMP, who have not helped you to date
anyway.” The letter calls the first six explosions, which began October 2008 and
included two this month, as “minor” and “fully controlled.” It says the attacks are meant
to send a message. “To let you know that you are indeed vulnerable, can be rendered
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helpless despite your megafunds, your political influence, craftiness and deceit in which
you trusted,” it says. This is the second letter sent to the media. The first was sent to
media last October just before the first set of three explosions. The letter called EnCana
and other companies “terrorists” and demanded they shut down immediately. The latest
letter does not specify the exact area EnCana must leave, but does mention the
company’s “fancy gas plant” at nearby Kelly Lake in northeastern British Columbia.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ibytV0RZTcvOg1EYOMNOEq
9xnzPgD99FS4600
4. July 16, Associated Press – (New York) Severe storms cut power to 44,500. National
Grid says more than 44,500 customers lost power as severe thunderstorms swept across
the Albany area. Most of the outages were in Saratoga County, with more than 36,000,
and Schenectady County, with about 5,000. Significant numbers were also reported in
Schoharie, Montgomery, and Albany counties. The utility’s Web site estimates that
power should be restored by 9 p.m. The storm, which moved through around 6 p.m.
Thursday, brought heavy rain, high winds, and hail.
Source: http://www.fox44.net/Global/story.asp?S=10741070
5. July 15, Oakland Tribune – (California) Tank farm operator hit with $2.5 million
punishment. A company that runs a fuel terminal on Contra Costa County’s
northwestern tip has been ordered to pay $2.5 million in fines and penalties — including
$750,000 to local clean-air community service projects — for violations that contributed
to Bay Area smog. Shore Terminals LLC pleaded guilty on July 14 to four felony counts
of submitting false annual reports to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The company’s plea agreement says Shore
Terminals received and distributed petroleum such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel
as well as ethanol at its NuStar marine terminal and tank farm in unincorporated Selby,
near Crockett. There, the company filled fuel trucks using a truck loading rack, which
requires a vapor recovery unit to capture volatile organic compounds — gases which
when hit by sunlight create ground-level ozone. From 2003 through the end of 2006, the
plea agreement says, Shore Terminals had mechanical problems that caused the vapor
recovery unit to malfunction and shut down, yet workers kept loading even when the
unit was not working.
Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12846253
For another story, see item 40
[Return to top]
Chemical Industry Sector
6. July 17, RimoftheWorld.net – (California) Limestone spill closes highway 330. In
Running Springs, a tractor trailer carrying bags of limestone (dry cement) southbound
on Highway 330 overturned at about 4:32 p.m. on July 16 causing an extended closure
of the roadway. The roadway was closed at 4:52 p.m. and traffic diverted to alternate
routes. The California Highway Patrol reports that as a result of the accident, a large
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amount of the limestone spilled leaving about six inches of the material spread across all
lanes of traffic. Limestone is considered an inhalation hazard. Hazmat crews worked to
clear the roadway for several hours and were available for possible decontamination of
emergency personnel at the scene of the accident.
Source: http://www.rimoftheworld.net/3827
7. July 16, Modesto Bee – (California) Sulfuric acid spills from tank at MID plant in
Modesto. The Modesto Irrigation District (MID) worked on July 16 to clean up a
sulfuric acid spill after about 40 gallons were released from a tank at its Woodland
generation plant, an MID official said. There were no injuries or evacuations in the spill,
which began around 2 a.m. at the plant on Woodland Avenue and Ninth Street. A weld
on a 5,000 gallon sulfuric acid tank failed and caused a slow leak, according to an MID
spokesperson. The Modesto Fire Department was called to the scene. The release of the
acid was contained within the plant, so there were no public safety issues. The MID was
working during the day to transfer the acid to another tank, and clean up the spilled
material. The MID uses the acid in the water demineralization process to get pure water
necessary to run the power plant.
Source: http://www.modbee.com/local/story/784503.html
[Return to top]
Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector
8. July 17, Associated Press – (New Jersey) Shutdown probe at Oyster Creek nuclear
plant. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has started a special
investigation into an emergency shutdown of the nation’s oldest nuclear power plant.
Over the July 11 weekend, the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station had to shut
down when severe thunderstorms knocked out power to the area. The NRC said July 16
it was trying to determine whether problems with equipment, communication, or
operator performance contributed to the problem. Four inspectors went to the Lacey
Township, Ocean County, site to review the outage and the plant’s response. An NRC
administrator said several equipment problems warranted closer examination.
Source:
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/homepage/20090717_Shutdown_probed_at_Oyst
er_Creek_nuclear_plant.html
[Return to top]
Critical Manufacturing Sector
9. July 17, CCH – (Alabama) OSHA cites Huntsville, Ala., manufacturer for safety
violations and $74,000 in penalties following fatality. OSHA has cited ATI
Engineered Products for safety violations following a worker’s fatal exposure to
hydrogen sulfite last December. The agency is proposing a repeat violation, with a
$12,500 penalty, after it found the process vessels not properly labeled. The company
has been cited for a similar violation following a 2007 inspection at its sister plant in
Gurley, Alabama. The Huntsville, Alabama, company is also being cited for 13 serious
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violations, with proposed penalties of $61,500. Serious violations include failure to
install hydrogen sulfite monitors and, also, a lack of training for employees who handle
the hazardous chemicals that were related to the fatality. Additionally, deficiencies were
found with regard to respiratory protection, confined space and lockout/tagout programs.
OSHA has proposed $74,000 in penalties against the company.
Source: http://hr.cch.com/news/safety/071709a.asp
10. July 16, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission – (National) Steam cleaners
recalled by Thane International due to shock and burn hazards. The U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Thane International, announced on
July 16 a voluntary recall of H2O Mop Steam Cleaners. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. The power cord can
unexpectedly wear down and expose the wiring, posing a shock and burn hazard to
consumers. Thane has received 10 reports of incidents involving shock injuries and eight
reports of incidents involving burn injuries. The H2O Mop is an electrically-powered
appliance for cleaning a variety of floor surfaces that uses microfiber or disposable
cloths on a cleaning head through which steam is dispersed. Consumers should
immediately stop using recalled steam cleaners and contact Thane to receive a free
repair kit.
Source: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09279.html
For another story, see item 13
[Return to top]
Defense Industrial Base Sector
11. July 17, Associated Press – (Alabama) OSHA alleges safety violations at Robins. The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited an Alabama company for
alleged safety violations at Robins Air Force Base that led to a death in March. OSHA
said on July 16 that ASM-Sanders Inc. of Madison, Alabama, used compressed air
instead of hydrostatic testing recommended by the manufacturer for leaks in chemical
welds of polyvinyl chloride pipes. The agency says a worker died of a head injury after a
chilled water line, which was being tested with compressed air, shattered and struck
him. Other alleged violations involved safety standards in the workers’ trench. OSHA
proposed a total of $79,300 in penalties. The company has 15 business days from receipt
of the citations to comply or contest them.
Source: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/07/ap_robins_safety_071709/
[Return to top]
Banking and Finance Sector
Nothing to report
[Return to top]
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Transportation Sector
12. July 17, Shreveport Times – (Louisiana) Danger lurks beneath Red River. Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agents, along with marine
patrols from Bossier and Caddo parishes, are urging boating enthusiasts on the Red
River to beware of a potential danger lurking beneath the surface in some areas. Silt
deposited from the high, muddy waters of the last couple of months extended sandbars
in several areas and many of the extensions are virtually undetectable with the naked
eye. Some are in what appear to be open channels and could prove deadly to boaters
running at high speeds. “The river has changed significantly over the past few weeks, so
people need to be extremely careful,” an LDWF sergeant said. “What looks like open
water and maybe was open water a couple of months ago, may be only two to six inches
deep. People need to wear their personal flotation devices and they need to make sure
their boat is equipped with a kill switch.” The second area of concern in the southern
stretch is just south of Clark’s Marina and within sight of Joe D. Waggoner Lock and
Dam No. 5.
Source: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090717/NEWS01/907170320
13. July 16, AVweb – (West Virginia) NTSB releases photos of southwest 737 damage.
The NTSB has released photos of the section of a Southwest Boeing 737-300 fuselage
that let loose in flight earlier the week of July 13. The photos show a remarkably clean
fracture where the outside skin of the aircraft blew out at 34,000 feet. The section of
aluminum is being examined by metallurgists while Southwest fixes the airplane in
Charleston, West Virginia where the crew made the emergency landing. The plane was
on its way from Nashville to Baltimore when the hole appeared. None of the 131
passengers and crew members were injured.
Source:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/NTSB_photos_Southwest_737_2007441.html
See also:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/SouthwestAirplanesInspected_200725-1.html
14. July 15, Reno Gazette Journal – (Nevada) Three more arrested on charges relating to
thermite theft. The week of July 6, three more local men were arrested on several
charges stemming from an incident involving the theft of thermite from the railroad
tracks in Wabuska, Nevada. On July 7, a juvenile was taken into custody, along with a
27-year-old and an 18-year-old, who were both arrested on July 10. All three were
charged with burglary, unlawful possession of an explosive or incendiary device, fourth
degree arson, and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and two of them were booked into
the Lyon County Jail with bail amounts of $52,500. The Lyon County sheriff’s office
(LCSO) took a report on June 30 involving a stolen forklift and the theft of 10-50
pounds of thermite, items used by the railroad and U.S. Army, in the area of North
Bybee Lane near the railroad tracks in Mason Valley. Graffiti was also found on
equipment at the site of the burglary, as well as on a bridge crossing the Walker River
close to the site, that led authorities to believe the suspects were possibly tied to a white
supremacy group. In addition, the LCSO reported that it found that the suspects also
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attempted to burn the bridge using the thermite. The forklift was found abandoned in an
area close to the railroad, but the thermite was not found and was assumed to be still in
the possession of the subjects. Investigation of the incident by LCSO deputies, the FBI,
and authorities from the U.S. Army began immediately and led to the issuance of search
warrants at two different locations in Mason Valley; and according to the LCSO, one of
those searches resulted in the recovery of more than 30 pounds of thermite in the trunk
of a car belonging to a 21-year-old, who was arrested on July 4. The LCSO reports that
the case was officially closed through local departments as of July 13, but FBI and U.S.
Army investigations are ongoing and more charges may be pending.
Source: http://www.rgj.com/article/20090717/MVN01/907170310/1305/BIZ01
For more stories, see items 2, 5, and 6
[Return to top]
Postal and Shipping Sector
Nothing to report
[Return to top]
Agriculture and Food Sector
15. July 17, News 14 Carolina – (North Carolina) Fire still smolders at peanut plant after
evening blaze. Debris at a peanut plant in the town of Clarkton, North Carolina
continued to smolder the morning of July 17 after a huge fire destroyed two of the
facility’s warehouses the previous night. More than 100 firefighters battled the flames at
Sachs Nuts Peanut Plant on Highway 701. The fire sparked just after 5:30 p.m. on July
16. No one was in the plant at the time of the fire, and no one was hurt. Firefighters let
much of the fire burn out naturally because they were short on water. There were
thunderstorms in the area around the time the fire started, but there is no word yet on
whether lightning might have played a part in the blaze.
Source: http://www.news14.com/content/local_news/coastal/612070/fire-still-smoldersat-peanut-plant-after-evening-blaze/Default.aspx
16. July 17, Reuters – (International) Russia lifts pork ban from U.S. Wisconsin, Canada.
Russia said on July 17 it would lift a ban on live pigs and raw pork imports from the
U.S. state of Wisconsin and Canada’s Ontario province starting July 18 due to what it
said was a “stabilization” of the situation of the H1N1 virus in those places. The animal
and plant health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said it now applies a ban on imports of
live pigs and uncooked pork from only one U.S. state — Florida, as well as the whole of
Great Britain and three Japanese prefectures. The spread of the virus, commonly known
as swine flu, is not caused by pigs and pork, but some countries including Russia have
nevertheless slapped bans on some imports.
Source: http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCATRE56G1V020090717
17. July 16, Capital Press – (California) Two new pests pose threats to agriculture. Two
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new destructive insects have recently been intercepted in California. U.S. Customs and
Border Protection agriculture specialists discovered live Kahpra beetles in Oakland
while inspecting a shipment from the United Arab Emirates, and an Asian gypsy moth
was found in a trap in Los Angeles County. Khapra beetles are federal quarantine pests
and considered one of the most destructive pests of grain products and seeds. Originally
from India and Bangladesh, it has spread to eastern Africa, southern Europe and the
Mediterranean region, the Mideast and east into Asia. Khapra beetles thrive in warm,
dry climates and can survive in grain storage. Infestations in stored grain can cause
significant loss. Contamination of grain by the beetle also has food safety implications.
The single male Asian gypsy moth was found in a California Department of Food and
Agriculture trap near the port of San Pedro. In response to the find, trapping efforts were
intensified around the detection.
Source:
http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=616&ArticleID=5
2883&TM=44320.81
[Return to top]
Water Sector
18. July 16, Hartford Courant – (Connecticut) Four days without tap water due to E. coli
fears. Residents and business owners in Putnam, Connecticut were into their fourth day
without tap water as testing for bacterial contamination continued. Town officials said
water quality tests done on July 10 revealed E. coli in the municipal water supply. The
water could be contaminated with human or animal waste, officials said. The Northeast
District Health Department’s health director said on July 15 that she had received no
reports of anyone getting sick. Drinking water specialists from the state Department of
Public Health took water samples earlier the week of July 13, some of which came back
positive for total coliform bacteria, an agency spokesman said. Total coliform bacteria
are generally harmless, but can indicate harmful bacteria such as E. coli. The specialists
took more samples on July 15 and were to test them in the department’s Hartford lab, he
said. About 2,600 residences and businesses in town get municipal water, town officials
said the positive results were confined to one residential area — Laconia Avenue. Until
results come back from the latest samples, however, the town-wide restrictions will
remain in place. Restaurants were allowed to open if owners brought ice in from out of
town, did not use coffee makers and had an alternative water source for hand washing
and cooking. At Day Kimball Hospital, the staff and patients were making do with
trucked-in bottled water and ice, but officials said patient care had not been interrupted.
Source: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-putnam-water0716.artjul16,0,196874.story
19. July 15, KTVO 3 Kirksville – (Missouri) Water tower repairs in limbo. The north
water tower in Kirksville, Missouri was damaged by flying debris during the tornado in
May. The city has already paid $19,000 for repairs, but the tower still needs to be
repainted. The Public Works director tells KTVO they are still waiting to hear from the
Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) on eligibility for funding.
“Some preliminary estimates put the cost of just doing the spot painting at about 42
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thousand dollars. The cost to do spot painting and to repaint the entire tower is
somewhere around 101 to 102 thousand dollars,” the director said. The tower was not
scheduled to be painted for another 3-5 years. The director says the work needs to be
completed before fall, so a recommendation will be presented to the city council within
a few weeks.
Source: http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=325016
20. July 15, Associated Press – (Oklahoma) EPA reports clean water violation in
Oklahoma City. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered two
companies to fix problems that could cause manure from the Oklahoma City stockyards
to flow into the Oklahoma River, where dozens of triathlon athletes were sickened by
swimming in bacteria-laden water. The EPA issued cease and desist orders to Murphy
Products and the Oklahoma National Stockyards Co. for violating the federal Clean
Water Act, an EPA spokesman said on July 15. They were given 30 days to report back
on how they have solved the issue. Murphy Products maintains huge piles of compost,
including cattle manure, on land owned by the stockyards about 200 feet from the
Oklahoma River. “We did not observe any actual discharges,” the spokesman said. “But
our inspectors certainly felt that the potential existed, particularly in a heavy rain, for
water from the manure piles to run directly into the river.” Murphy Products does not
hold the proper state permit to maintain such compost piles, said a spokesman for the
state Department of Agriculture. Murphy Products’ president in a statement the
company is building a barrier to ensure none of the waste flows into the river. The
president of Oklahoma National Stockyards Co. said he and Murphy Products officials
had not been aware there was a potential pollution problem or that a composting permit
was needed until they were notified by the EPA. The Oklahoma Health Department
found that parasites, viruses and bacteria in the Oklahoma River were to blame for
sickening at least 45 of the participants in the Boathouse International Triathlon, held
May 16-17 in Oklahoma City. The health department investigated after some of the
athletes reported severe gastrointestinal problems after swimming in the river as part of
the triathlon. City officials have said bacteria levels spike after heavy rains because of
runoff that includes animal waste. There was a heavy rain before the triathlon. The
stockyards are about 4 miles from the area where the swim portion of the triathlon was
held.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/07/15/ap6659233.html
For another story, see item 27
[Return to top]
Public Health and Healthcare Sector
21. July 17, Associated Press – (International) UN health agency gives up on counting
swine flu. The World Health Organization says it will stop counting individual cases of
swine flu. Tracking individual swine flu cases is too overwhelming for countries where
the virus is spreading widely, the agency says in a statement. WHO will no longer issue
global totals of swine flu cases, although it will continue to track the global epidemic.
WHO says countries should look for signs the virus is mutating, such as changes in the
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way swine flu is spreading, surges in hospital visits or more severe cases. The agency
asks countries to report their first confirmed cases, then provide weekly case numbers
with a description of their outbreaks. WHO had reported nearly 95,000 cases including
429 deaths worldwide. But the numbers are outdated, with Britain estimating it had
55,000 new cases the week of July 6 alone.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j5ArhIKTisx0eFmTGjgoSNUO
K1cQD99G4O400
22. July 17, MSNBC – (National) HIV travel ban may be lifted for infected visitors.
Foreigners who have HIV would be allowed to travel and immigrate to the United States
under a plan by federal health officials to lift a 22-year ban on infected visitors that
critics say was unnecessary from the start. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention are seeking public comment through August 17 on the proposal, which
would remove HIV from the list of diseases that can bar entry to the country and do
away with HIV testing as part of medical exams for permanent residence and, in some
cases, travel visas. The proposed rule comes more than a year after Congress voted to
repeal 1987 restrictions on HIV-positive immigrants as part of a package of AIDS
reforms. Although that removed the legal requirement that HIV-infected people be
excluded, the Health and Human Services department has final say over whether the
disease remains on the no-entry list.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31910664/ns/health-aids/
23. July 17, Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot – (National) New Navy lab to test for swine
flu. The Navy is putting the finishing touches on a new lab that will allow public health
measures to kick in more quickly, so it can speed up detection of H1N1 and then react
more promptly. Currently, all Navy samples of suspected H1N1 virus are tested at the
Naval Health Research Center in San Diego. Results can take up to two weeks because
of travel time between coasts and the volume of samples. With the new lab in Norfolk,
the Navy expects the turnaround time to shrink to between 48 and 72 hours. The Navy
has had 470 confirmed diagnoses of the H1N1 virus since April. Last month, about 50
Sailors and Marines were diagnosed with the influenza aboard the Norfolk-based
amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima. While those samples were tested in San Diego, future
local outbreaks will be fielded in Norfolk, Virginia. The local lab is part of Navy
Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit No. 2, based at Norfolk Naval Station.
Source: http://www.military.com/news/article/new-navy-lab-to-test-for-swineflu.html?col=1186032310810&ESRC=topstories.RSS
24. July 16, Associated Press – (New York) Banned NY clinic owner faces new $47M
fraud charge. A medical clinic operator barred from participating in New York’s
Medicaid program 12 years ago for filing false claims was charged Thursday with
secretly scamming his way back into the system and orchestrating a new fraud that took
in $47 million. The man was to be arraigned on charges including grand larceny, health
care fraud and money laundering. Five other people and seven corporations also face
charges. The indictment and a companion civil lawsuit filed by New York’s attorney
general accuse the man of creating a web of corporations to conceal his ownership of
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several medical businesses, including a home health care agency, two ambulette
companies and three clinics. Those businesses then collected $47 million in government
reimbursements over 10 years for treating Medicaid patients, many of which were
elderly Russians in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood.
Source: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nyclinic0717,0,1524749.story
[Return to top]
Government Facilities Sector
25. July 17, Aurora Beacon News – (South Carolina) Aurora man jailed for military base
threat. A 29-year-old Aurora, Illinois, man will spend the next year in federal prison for
phoning in a threat to a South Carolina Air Force base. On Wednesday, the suspect was
sentenced in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, to 12 months and one day in
federal prison. The suspect pleaded guilty in March 2007. According to prosecutors, the
man called the Shaw Air Force Base fire station in Sumter, South Carolina, where he
used to work, from Illinois, and said there was a bomb in the fire chief’s office and that
the chief was going to die, according to prosecutors. As a result of the suspect’s call, the
fire station was evacuated and operations were shut down for about two hours,
prosecutors said. The case was investigated by the Shaw Air Force Base Criminal
Investigative Division and the FBI. When he is released from prison, the suspect will be
put on three years of supervised release, similar to probation.
Source: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1671070,Auroramilitary-base-threat_au071709.article
26. July 17, Washington Examiner – (South Carolina) FBI: Alexandria man threatens to
kill SC judges. A 51-year-old Alexandria man accused of threatening to kill white
judges in South Carolina believed the judges were part of a Confederate conspiracy to
prevent him, a West Point graduate, from obtaining justice in a lawsuit he filed against
the state, court documents show. The suspect, who is white, was arrested at his
Arlington, Virginia, home Wednesday night after being charged with sending
threatening letters to judges designed, in part, to intimidate them into backing his
lawsuit, the FBI said. The charges stem from an April 6 e-mail sent to a South Carolina
U.S. District Judge, according to the indictment filed July 7. It was the same day the
suspect’s father, a U.S. Army colonel, was to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery,
the e-mail said. The judge had been handling the proceedings of the suspect’s lawsuit.
“The ‘ONLY WAY’ I am going to be able to achieve justice is “TO START KILLING
OFF WHITE JUDGES,” the e-mail read. “As you know, my patience is exhausted. No
telling how I will react after my father is buried.” The suspect’s frustration started in
2001, when he filed criminal charges against an employee the man claimed was stealing
from his business in Hilton Head, South Carolina, according to his lawsuit against the
state. The suspect claimed that prosecutors declined to move forward with the case
because of the employee’s local political influence.
Source: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Alexandria-man-threatens-S_Carolina-judges_-citing-Confederate-conspiracy-7982059-50968722.html
27. July 16, CBS News and Associated Press – (Florida) Locked out: City loses keys to
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city. Minneola, Florida officials were forced to change the locks on every city-owned
building because a truck with all the keys inside was stolen over the July 11 weekend.
Officials said Tuesday that about 150 locks had to be changed. When employees arrived
at a wastewater treatment facility Monday morning, they discovered that a city-owned
truck had been stolen. Officials say a set of keys had been left in the truck that could
open the doors to every lock in the city, including those at City Hall, the fire department,
the library, lift stations and recreational facilities. The city manager said employees
checked all the city facilities on Monday and found no signs of tampering.
Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/07/15/crimesider/entry5162128.shtml
28. July 16, Agence France-Presse – (National) Shuttle Endeavour cleared for ISS
docking. The space shuttle Endeavour is in the clear despite debris that peeled off
during launch ahead of its docking with the International Space Station, NASA said
Friday. The debris was spotted after the shuttle took off Wednesday from the Kennedy
Space Center, its sixth bid in recent weeks to reach the ISS after delays caused by
weather woes and technical glitches. “There is nothing that we have seen on the orbiter
that causes any concern,” the space shuttle manager told reporters. The debris could be
seen hitting the shuttle about two minutes into the flight in images broadcast on NASA
TV. Earlier Thursday, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations said the
debris could be ice or foam that broke off from the external fuel tank. “We had some
foam loss events,” he said. “You can clearly see, on the front part of the orbiter, some
white indications where the tiles were dinged... We don’t consider those an issue for us,
those are probably coating losses.” Endeavour astronauts used the shuttle’s robotic arm
for what the space agency called “the standard flight day two inspection” of the
reinforced carbon wing leading edge and nose cap. Imagery experts on the ground will
continue to assess images transmitted by the astronauts to determine the state of the
shuttle’s thermal protection system, NASA said, adding that an early review showed
only “a few minor dings” in some tiles due to the loss of small foam pieces from the
external fuel tank.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gaLbR5VMO2gQ_aim0Q30zxs
cM5gQ
29. July 16, San Diego Union Tribune – (California) Blaze nearly contained at marine
base training area. A fire that began on July 11 on Camp Pendleton is now 90 percent
contained, a marine officer said on July 15. The fire has charred 1,500 acres of brush,
but its forward progress has been stopped. The base’s fire department would monitor it
throughout the night. The fire is in the northeast section of the base, and no structures
are threatened or have been damaged, a Marine spokesman said.
Source: http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jul/16/blaze-nearly-containedmarine-base-training-area/
For another story, see item 23
[Return to top]
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Emergency Services Sector
30. July 17, Homeland Security Today – (National) 911 system remains archaic. The lag
between America’s current aging 911 system infrastructure and newer, digital
technologies has created increasing “points of failure” in emergency communications,
where calls can be dropped or misdirected, sometimes with tragic consequences,
according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report released the week of July
13. The report, titled Emergency Communications: The Future of 911, authored by a
CRS specialist in telecommunications policy, urges both Congress and the Department
of Homeland Security to take a more proactive leadership role in moving the goal of
national modernization of the emergency communications system forward. The
emergency communications network of the future envisioned by the report will be IPbased, using standardized protocols, and providing a nationwide overlay of system links
that can operate at the national, regional, tribal, state, or local level to best meet the
needs of specific circumstances. Such a network, if fully realized, could support many
types of emergency communications needs, including first responder networks and
emergency alerts.
Source: http://www.hstoday.us/content/view/9396/149/
31. July 17, Southeast Missourian – (Missouri) Cape Girardeau Police Department gets
bulletproof facelift. The lobby and records offices at the Cape Girardeau Police
Department are getting a bulletproof facelift. Using money generated by the city’s
public safety tax, the currently cramped records office will become 17 feet longer, said a
captain in the Cape Girardeau Police Department. In addition to the extra space the
records division will have, bulletproof glass and Kevlar-reinforced Sheetrock will
surround the new offices, similar to the window currently at the front of the lobby where
the station commander sits. Southeast Missouri State University donated the materials,
and the remodeling work was contracted with Boulder Construction of Cape Girardeau,
the police chief said. The cost of the project was estimated at around $5,000. The idea to
beef up security in the lobby came about after the department relocated five division
offices — the drug, sexual assault, traffic, Safe Communities and public affairs units —
into an $80,000 mobile home next to the police department. Some of the officers had
concerns about those units being easily accessed by anyone who entered headquarters
through the lobby. A chain-link fence protects the area from the street but not from
anyone who would walk through the front doors of the department and hang a right,
where they could exit the main building and enter the mobile home offices.
Source: http://www.semissourian.com/story/1555380.html
For more stories, see items 27, 38, and 40
[Return to top]
Information Technology
32. July 16, BBC News – (International) Twitter calls lawyer over hacking. The
microblogging service Twitter is taking legal advice after hundreds of documents were
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hacked into and published by a number of blogs. TechCrunch has made public some of
the 310 bits of material it was sent. It posted information about Twitter’s financial
projections and products. “We are in touch with our legal counsel about what this theft
means for Twitter, the hacker and anyone who accepts...or publishes these stolen
documents,” said a co-founder of Twitter. In a blog posting he wrote that “About a
month ago, an administrative employee here at Twitter was targeted and her personal
email account was hacked. “From the personal account, we believe the hacker was able
to gain information which allowed access to this employee’s Google Apps account
which contained Docs, Calendars and other Google Apps Twitter relies on for sharing
notes, spreadsheets, ideas, financial details and more within the company.” The cofounder went on to stress that “the attack had nothing to do with any vulnerability in
Google Apps.” He said this was more to do with “Twitter being in enough of a spotlight
that folks who work here can be a target.” It is believed a French hacker who goes by the
moniker “Hacker Croll” illegally accessed the files online by guessing staff members’
passwords.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8153122.stm
33. July 16, CNET News – (International) Microsoft sues alleged IM spammers, phishers.
Microsoft is bringing out the big guns to combat instant message spam and phishing
attacks done to users of its Live Messenger network. The Redmond, Washington-based
software giant filed a civil lawsuit on July 16 in King County Superior Court in Seattle
against Funmobile, Mobilefunster, and several individuals, who Microsoft says is
responsible for the intentional misuse of the service to gain the personal information of
its users. In the suit, Microsoft cites a multitude of attacks including IMs that appear to
be coming from users they know, as well as phishing attacks that mimic the look and
feel of an outside service, or an official Microsoft support page. Microsoft says that the
successful use of these tactics has let third parties obtain these users’ personal account
information, then exploit it by sending mass spam and phishing messages to the contacts
of users whose accounts have been breached. In a post on Microsoft’s security blog
Microsoft on the Issues, Microsoft’s associate general counsel of Internet safety
enforcement said the company hopes the suit will accomplish three things. One is to
stop companies and individuals from continuing the attacks through injunction.
Microsoft also intends to “recover monetary damages,” as well as send a message to
other parties who would try similar tactics. Microsoft counts the number of its Windows
Live Messenger users at more than 320 million, although the suit makes no mention of
how many of those users have been affected by the privacy attacks. However, it does say
that the attacks have put a strain on the servers that run the service, as well as its security
teams, which have to monitor and combat incoming attacks. In the meantime, the
company is urging users of its Live Messenger service and other Live services not to
give other people their log-in information.
Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-10289104-248.html
34. July 16, NetworkWorld – (International) Will new top-level domains promote
cybersquatting? The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
is hosting two meetings the week of July 13 — one in New York City and the other in
London — to discuss the trademark and cybersecurity issues surrounding its plan to
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introduce hundreds of new top-level domains into the Internet. Similar meetings will be
held in Hong Kong the week of July 20 and Abu-Dhabi in early August. At these public
meetings, ICANN is discussing the protections that it will give corporations so they do
not have to spend huge sums of money purchasing their company and brand names in all
of the new top-level domains. ICANN plans to introduce hundreds of top-level domains
— such as .nyc, .sport and .food — next year. Wary about this plan, U.S. corporations
with large portfolios of domain names have asked ICANN for special protections for
trademark owners to prevent cybersquatting and other deceptive practices such as
phishing. The president of ICANN’s Intellectual Property Constituency and a partner
with law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp said the ICANN meeting in New York City
focused on preventative measures that ICANN can put in place to prevent cybersquatters
from registering trademark-protected names. “The meeting also included the malicious
conduct issue,” the president said. “We believe the new TLDs will provide a lot of new
opportunities for phishing, pharming and malware, and we are trying to minimize the
risk.”
Source: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/071609-icann-meetings-on-newtlds.html
35. July 16, KPTV 12 Portland – (Oregon) Turkish hacker hits Portland Web sites. A
handful of Portland Web sites became the unsuspecting targets of Turkish hackers over
the weekend of July 11. The home page of the Central Northeast Neighbors was
replaced by a message claiming the site had been cracked by a Turkish hacker. Five
other sites were also hit. The owner of the company that hosts and services the sites said
the hacker simply erased the homepage and replaced it with his own. The owner keeps
all the files and data on private servers. He hosts more than 30 sites, but only a handful
were hacked. He said there is no way of knowing who is really responsible. “I suspect
he’s in Turkey, (but) I don’t know where he is,” the owner said. “I think these people do
this just to show he can do it.” A Google search on July 15 showed numerous sites
claiming to be hacked. All sites were running as normal by July 15.
Source: http://www.kptv.com/technology/20075160/detail.html
Internet Alert Dashboard
To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US−CERT at soc@us−cert.gov or visit their
Website: http://www.us-cert.gov.
Information on IT information sharing and analysis can be found at the IT ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Center)
Website: https://www.it-isac.org/.
[Return to top]
Communications Sector
36. July 16, DarkReading – (International) Ireland’s largest ISP may be under attack.
Ireland’s largest Internet service provider has been experiencing performance problems
for more than a month, and some researchers believe it has become the victim of
multiple DNS poisoning attacks. Users first began complaining of slow response times
at the end of May, according to online bulletin boards. Some users also complained that
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their Web queries were being redirected to other sites. Many of those queries ended up
at the same advertising site, which suggests a DNS compromise, according to a blog by
a security researcher at Trend Micro. Complaints from Eircom users reportedly
intensified at the beginning of July, and the week of July 6 the ISP issued a statement
that confirmed the problem: “Customers may have recently experienced delays in web
browsing and may have been unable to access the Internet,” the statement said. “In some
cases, customers may have been redirected to incorrect Websites. This issue has been
caused by an unusual and irregular volume of internet traffic being directed onto our
network, and this impacted the systems and servers that provide access to the Internet
for our customers. Eircom is working continuously to minimize the impact for
customers and has taken a number of steps, including software updates and hardware
interventions, to fully restore Internet service.” But the week of July 13, users again are
reporting problems using the ISP’s services. In a second statement issued July 14, the
ISP conceded that the problem may be a second attack. “While it is too early to confirm,
Eircom believes that [this week’s performance issues are] related to an unprecedented
volume of traffic deliberately directed at our network which has caused difficulties for
customers over recent days,” the company says.
Source:
http://www.darkreading.com/securityservices/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleI
D=218501038&subSection=Attacks/breaches
37. July 16, Sacramento Bee – (California) Fire topples Sacramento radio tower. A twoalarm wild fire late on July 15 toppled a 250-feet radio tower along the American River
Parkway, damaged a second one and threatened a third, fire officials said. The fire, near
Commerce Circle and Lathrop Way in North Sacramento, was reported shortly before
noon, according to a Sacramento Fire Department news release. No injuries were
reported, fire officials said. The fire destroyed a small building that housed radio
equipment at the base of the collapsed tower. ABC Radio, which broadcasts Radio
Disney to the Sacramento area, owns the three towers. Fire investigators are looking into
whether “something electrical” inside the building caused the fire, but have not yet
determined a cause.
Source: http://www.firefightingnews.com/article-US.cfm?articleID=68146
38. July 15, Whitman & Hanson Express – (Massachusetts) Phone malfunctions cause
issues in town. A malfunction in the Brockton Verizon building wreaked havoc with
phones on July 14 in Whitman. At one point, one could not call out or receive a call on
any line at the fire or police station. On July 14, firefighters discovered a problem with
the 911 system; when a call was transferred from State Police, the line went dead.
Luckily State Police still had the person on the line making the emergency call.
Throughout the day, the issue became worse, knocking phones out to all the business
lines at the fire station, police station, Town Hall and residential lines throughout the
town. Residents were unable to call 911 for help, and their only way to notify the news
office was via a fire alarm box on the street or their cell phone. “The issue with using
cell phones is all 911 calls go to State Police in Framingham, who then transfer them
down, and that’s the problem, the phones would not transfer either,” said the police
chief. Verizon was at a loss for some time trying to figure out the problem. Phones were
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back on line and working by late July 14, 16 hours later.
Source:
http://whitmanhansonexpress.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28
11:phone-malfunctions-cause-issues-in-town&catid=944:letters&Itemid=56
For another story, see item 30
[Return to top]
Commercial Facilities Sector
39. July 18, Bloomberg – (International) Ritz, Marriott hotel bombings in Jakarta kill
eight people. Suicide bombers attacked the Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott hotels in
Jakarta, Indonesia on July 17, killing eight people and injuring at least 53 in Indonesia’s
first terrorist attack in almost four years. Investigators are still trying to determine which
group dispatched the two bombers, the national police chief told reporters. There was no
immediate statement of responsibility for the attacks. The blasts at about 7:45 a.m. local
time rocked the buildings in an up-market shopping and business district, ripping the
facade off the Ritz, blowing out windows, and showering the street with glass and
debris. At least eight U.S. citizens were hurt in the blast, the Associated Press reported,
citing an unidentified American official. The attackers may have stayed at the Marriott,
said an adviser to the Indonesian president. Police found an unexploded bomb in Room
1808 of the hotel, he said by telephone in Jakarta. TVOne showed closed-circuit
television footage of a man walking into the Marriott with a briefcase before the blast.
Authorities cleared the hotels of injured people within half an hour of the explosions and
deployed about 300 soldiers from the Jakarta military command. The MMC Hospital, a
medical center closest to the hotels, was crowded with people suffering burns, cuts, and
broken limbs.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aJHf_DLaew0Y
40. July 17, NewsOK.com – (Oklahoma) High winds damage Bricktown hotel. A brief but
potent storm struck the Oklahoma City metro area Thursday afternoon, knocking out
power to thousands, severely damaging at least two schools and a hotel, and causing at
least two house fires. About 29,000 customers were without power at 6 p.m. in the
hardest hit areas, Oklahoma City, Edmond, Del City, and Midwest City, according to
Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. Midwest City and Del City high schools received roof
and water damage, hundreds were evacuated from a hotel because of damage and
possible gas fumes, and a sheriff’s substation in Midwest City was damaged along with
18 vehicles. Power poles were knocked down in several parts of the metro area. About
300 guests were evacuated from the Bricktown Hotel and Convention Center after
storms ripped roofing off of the building, knocking out power. Guests also smelled
natural gas in the building.
Source: http://newsok.com/high-winds-damage-bricktown-hotel/article/3385908
41. July 16, Associated Press – (Iowa) E. Iowa marina fire destroys $1 million in boats.
The owner of a boat dealership in eastern Iowa says a fire has destroyed more than $1
million in boats. The fire at Lake Delhi Marina and RV Center near Manchester was
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reported around 3 a.m. on July 15. Six fire departments responded. The fire engulfed the
showroom and machine shop. The owner says the fire destroyed at least 40 boats
belonging to the dealership and to customers. The Ryan fire chief says all the tires,
motors, and plastic were melted. The State fire marshal’s office is investigating the
cause of the fire.
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ia-iowamarinafire,0,4293324.story
For more stories, see items 27 and 45
[Return to top]
National Monuments & Icons Sector
42. July 15, Salt Lake Tribune – (Utah) Wildfire in Zion National Park spreads to 450
acres. A wildfire burning in Zion National Park in Utah forced the closure of a hiking
trail and has spread over 450 acres, but was reported to be 25 percent contained on July
15. The lightning-sparked fire was discovered on July 7 and is located about 1.5 miles
southeast of Lava Point, in the northern part of the park. On July 15, park officials said
the northern part of the fire, which is most worrisome to fire officials, was slowed by a
lack of fuel when it reached an area that was burned last fall. The southern and eastern
parts of the fire continued moderate growth July 14. The West Rim Trail from Lava
Point to Potato Hollow was temporarily closed to protect visitors. Smoke from the fire
may settle into canyons at night, especially Zion Canyon, but canyon winds should blow
it away by mid-morning, a park fire spokesman said in a news release.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/contents/ci_12843727
[Return to top]
Dams Sector
43. July 17, Salt Lake City Desert News – (Utah) Bennett secures funds to study canal,
begin repairs. A republican senator from Utah secured $400,000 on July 17 to study
why a canal in Logan broke last week and to begin repairs. “We must take immediate
action to examine the entire canal system, and this funding will allow the experts at
USDA [the U.S. Department of Agriculture] to do that,” he said. The Logan and
Northern Canal broke on July 11, creating a mudslide that buried a home beneath it,
killing a woman and her two children. The funding allows the Agriculture Department
to examine the canal, identify risks, and begin repairs. The money comes out of earlier
appropriations the senator had secured for the Utah Conservation Initiative.
Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705317343/Bennett-secures-funds-forcanal.html
44. July 16, KHBS/KHOG 40/29 Fort Smith/Fayetteville – (Arkansas) Feds may kill Ozark
Lock and Dam project. The federal government may put a halt to a construction
project in Ozark in order to save money. The Office of Management and Budget has
proposed stopping work on the Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock and Dam. The $93 million
project is designed to rehabilitate the five hydroelectric turbines within the powerhouse.
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So far, the government has spent $60 million on its construction.
Source: http://www.4029tv.com/news/20080186/detail.html
45. July 16, WDSU 6 New Orleans – (Louisiana) Harvey floodwall could wash away
casino. A floodwall in Harvey designed to protect property could wash away Boomtown
Casino. Boomtown Casino is sandwiched between the Harvey Canal and a floodwall. If
there is a storm, the wall could put the casino at risk. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
is working on building gates into the floodwall on Peters Road, along the Harvey Canal.
If the wall is built without gates, drivers would not be able to get to some businesses,
like Boomtown Casino. The only problem with the plan is that, if there is a hurricane,
the Corps will close the gates, which could cause the casino to flood. As of now, the
Corps said there is little protection along the Harvey Canal but that will change with the
new wall. The casino generates about $144 million a year and pays 21.5 percent of that
in taxes to the state. In its 16 years, the casino never flooded. The Corps said there is a
chance of flooding, but it would be hard to predict. Boomtown said it plans to fork over
$3 million to pay for a bridge built to the casino so it would always have access, even if
the flood gates are closed. The floodwall along the Harvey Canal will cost a total of
$340 million and is expected to be completed sometime in the middle of next year.
Source: http://www.wdsu.com/news/20081358/detail.html
[Return to top]
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DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report Contact Information
About the reports − The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is a daily [Monday through
Friday] summary of open−source published information concerning significant critical infrastructure
issues. The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is archived for ten days on the Department of
Homeland Security Website: http://www.dhs.gov/iaipdailyreport
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Send mail to NICCReports@dhs.gov or contact the DHS Daily
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Contact DHS
To report physical infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact the National Infrastructure
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To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US−CERT at soc@us−cert.gov
or visit their Web page at www.us-cert.gov.
Department of Homeland Security Disclaimer
The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is a non−commercial publication intended to educate and
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copyright restrictions. DHS provides no warranty of ownership of the copyright, or accuracy with respect to the
original source material.
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