Homeland
Security
Current Nationwide
Threat Level
ELEVATED
Daily Open Source Infrastructure
Report for 20 April 2010
Significant Risk of Terrorist Attacks
For information, click here:
http://www.dhs.gov
Top Stories

WANE 15 Fort Wayne reports that authorities evacuated homes in a mile radius around a
train derailment in Edgerton, Ohio on Monday. Thirty-seven cars derailed, and multiple
cars were leaking denatured alcohol. (See item 4)

According to the New York Daily News, a massive gang takedown in Queens, New York
uncovered a rare alliance between Bloods and Crips and a plot to assassinate cops,
authorities said on April 16. (See item 52)
Fast Jump Menu
PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES
• Energy
• Chemical
• Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste
• Critical Manufacturing
• Defense Industrial Base
• Dams
SUSTENANCE and HEALTH
• Agriculture and Food
• Water
• Public Health and Healthcare
SERVICE INDUSTRIES
• Banking and Finance
• Transportation
• Postal and Shipping
• Information Technology
• Communications
• Commercial Facilities
FEDERAL and STATE
• Government Facilities
• Emergency Services
• 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. April 18, St. Louis Post-Dispatch – (National) Patriot, Peabody make ‘dangerous
mine’ list. Four Patriot Coal Corp. mines and a Peabody Energy Corp. mine are among
48 operations nationwide that escaped increased oversight because of a backlog of
contested safety citations, according to the chairman of the House Education and Labor
Committee. The list comes as the mining industry faces increasing scrutiny because of
a blast April 5 at a Massey Energy Corp. mine in West Virginia that killed 29 people.
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On Thursday, the President vowed to investigate the explosion and strengthen federal
oversight of mines. He pledged to tackle the backlog of challenged safety citations “to
help ensure that mine companies no longer use a strategy of endless litigation to evade
their responsibilities.” The 48 mines — a list that includes Massey’s Upper Big Branch
Mine, where the explosion occurred — would have received a notice of potential
pattern of violations in October, but did not because owners had contested citations and
those challenges had not been resolved. Miller said having 16,000 appeals waiting to be
adjudicated was “undermining efforts to protect miners by delaying tougher sanctions.”
The Patriot Coal mines listed by Miller include three in West Virginia and one in
Kentucky.
Source:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/0/84E05421D2C2143E86257708
0002C16A?OpenDocument
2. April 17, Red Bluff Daily News – (California) Power outage hits across Tehama
County. Thousands of Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E) customers lost power
Thursday after equipment at an electrical substation deenergized. The outage affected
32,000 customers in Tehama County, California, from Red Bluff north to areas in
Shasta County. The power outage occurred at 1:39 p.m. when an electrical bus inside
the Cottonwood substation deenergized. The substation is a major power supplier to
other stations in the area, which is why so many neighborhoods were affected, a PG&E
spokesman said. A number of customers regained power around 2:15 p.m., and power
was restored to most by 3:30 p.m. after the electrical bus was reenergized. PG&E is
still investigating the cause of the deenergizing of the bus, a large piece of equipment
that receives transmission-level power from a single source and distributes it out on
multiple lines.
Source: http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_14897656
3. April 16, Associated Press – (West Virginia) Serious problems turn up at other
Massey mines. Federal inspectors turned up more than 60 serious safety violations at
Massey Energy operations after the explosion that killed 29 miners at the company’s
Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia, federal mine-safety records show. Inspectors
visited more than 30 underground Massey mines in West Virginia, Kentucky and
Virginia after the April 5 blast, according to records from the Mine Safety and Health
Administration. The agency has tentatively blamed preventable accumulations of
explosive methane gas and coal dust for the worst U.S. coal mining disaster since 1970.
The violations included conveyor-belt problems at Massey’s Aracoma Alma No. 1
mine in West Virginia, where a belt fire killed two men in 2006. The company’s Solid
Energy No. 1 mine in Kentucky was cited for allowing coal dust to pile up on three
occasions since the explosion. And Massey’s Mammoth No. 2 Gas mine near
Charleston was cited after a spot MSHA check turned up a crew without a methane
monitor April 7. Mines are required to keep methane well below explosive levels with
sophisticated, ventilation systems, and control coal dust by keeping it from piling up
and covering it with noncombustible material. Massey had no immediate response
Friday.
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Source: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/04/16/general-energy-us-mineexplosion_7521465.html?boxes=Homepagebusinessnews
[Return to top]
Chemical Industry Sector
4. April 19, WANE 15 Fort Wayne – (Ohio) Police evacuate homes near train
wreck. Authorities are evacuating homes in a mile radius around a train derailment in
Edgerton, Ohio. According to the Williams County Sheriff’s Department, 37 cars
derailed in Edgerton, Ohio around 9:15 a.m. Monday. Multiple cars are leaking
denatured alcohol. The Norfolk and Southern freight train derailed west of County
Road 8, near the County Road crossing, between Bryan and Edgerton. So far, no
injuries have been reported. Officials say a hazmat team is at the site because of the
alcohol leak. Norfolk and Southern officials are investigating the derailment. Officials
do not know when the wrecked cars will be cleaned up or how much money is being
lost while the tracks are out of service.
Source: http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/37-train-cars-derail-leaking-alcohol
5. April 18, KATU 2 Portland – (Oregon) Chemical spill closes Cornelius Pass
Road. Cornelius Pass Road remained closed from Highway 30 to Northwest
Germantown Road after an acid spill Saturday morning. Portland Fire and Tualatin
Valley Fire were called to the scene around 11:20 a.m., after a 100-gallon tank of what
a Tualatin Valley Fire spokesman described as N-phuric acid fell from a truck bed. Nphuric acid is non-toxic, the spokesman reported. Initial reports from clean-up crews
are that no waterways have been threatened. “It was a liquid, about 100 gallons that
spilled,” said a spokesman at Multnomah County Public Works, the agency now
overseeing the spill clean-up along with Oregon’s Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ). “A square ‘tote’ container fell from the truck and spilled its material on
the road and the shoulder of the road.” Crews have stabilized the spill, and are working
with Oregon’s DEQ. The road had been closed to all but local traffic from Northwest
Skyline Boulevard to Highway 30. However, the portion between Skyline Boulevard
and Germantown Road was reopened sometime Saturday afternoon. The roadway
remained closed until around 1 a.m. Sunday.
Source: http://www.katu.com/news/91277269.html
6. April 17, State Journal-Register – (Illinois) No injuries after anhydrous tank
overturns. In Pleasant Plains, students at Farmingdale Elementary School and Pleasant
Plains Middle School were not allowed outside Friday afternoon after an accident at
Illinois 125 and Farmingdale Road caused an anhydrous ammonia leak. The crash
occurred when a driver, 18, of Springfield, Illinois, pulled out in front of an east-bound
pickup on Illinois 125 that was pulling a 1,400-gallon, anhydrous ammonia tank. The
23-year-old driver of the pickup, swerved and avoided hitting the 18-year-old’s vehicle.
The maneuver, however, caused the tank to overturn and spill about 700 gallons of the
chemical in a ditch around 1:40 p.m., Illinois State Police said. No one was injured in
the crash or by the chemical spill. The wind was blowing the fumes away from the
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schools, but school officials did implement an emergency plan. Students were not
allowed outside, windows were closed, and the staff made sure the ventilation system
was not drawing in any air from outside, the schools superintendent said. School
officials called parents to let them know that everything was under control and that
nearby roads were closed. Students were dismissed at 3 p.m. without any difficulties.
Illinois 125 and Farmingdale Road were reopened at 3:45 p.m. No one was evacuated
due to the spill.
Source: http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x749202974/Anhydrous-leak-at-Ill-125-andFarmingdale-Road
For another story, see item 13
[Return to top]
Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste Sector
7. April 17, Rutland Herald – (Vermont) NRC: Yankee could have done more. Federal
regulators said Friday that Entergy Nuclear had failed to complete expected but
voluntary, industry-recommended actions to prevent tritium leaks or other radioactive
problems at the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor. In a “quick look” letter assessing
Entergy Nuclear’s response to the now-stopped tritium leak at Vermont Yankee, the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) noted the three monitoring wells that Entergy
installed as part of a nuclear-industry recommendation helped identify the leak. The
NRC noted that the leak did not contaminate any drinking water and did not pose a
threat to public health. The letter comes just before the NRC holds an open house and
public meeting Monday in Brattleboro on the leak and Entergy Nuclear’s response.
According to the NRC, while the monitoring wells were “key in the identification of
the recent groundwater contamination,” some voluntary aspects of the industry’s
groundwater-protection initiatives had not been undertaken or completed.
Source:
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100417/NEWS02/4170359/1003/NEWS02
8. April 16, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – (South Carolina) NRC augments
inspection at Robinson Nuclear Plant. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has
formed an Augmented Inspection Team to further review a series of March 28 incidents
at the Robinson Nuclear Plant in South Carolina. Specifically, the NRC team will
review an automatic-reactor trip, two fires in the plant’s electrical system, and the plant
operators’ response to the events. An alert was declared March 28 at the plant, which is
operated by Progress Energy near Hartsville, South Carolina, about 26 miles northwest
of Florence. The Robinson plant exited the alert after about two-and-a-half hours. The
plant remained shut down and entered a planned, refueling outage early. The NRC
dispatched a three-person, special-inspection team to the Robinson plant two days after
the original events. Further review by the company and the NRC found additional
deficiencies in operations, which increased the overall risk and pointed to the need for
additional inspection.
Source: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2010/10-026.ii.html
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9. April 15, Homeland Security Newswire – (International) Weapons-grade, fissile
material in the world could yield 126,500 nuclear bombs. The nations of the world
together have in their possession about 1.6 million kilograms of highly enriched
uranium (HEU) and about 500,000 kilograms of plutonium. Because it takes only about
25 kilograms of HEU or eight kilograms of plutonium to make a crude, nuclear bomb,
the weapon-grade material now available in the world could yield 64,000 HEU-based
bombs and 62,500 plutonium-based bombs. This information came out during the
nuclear summit hosted by the U.S. President convened in Washington, D.C. from April
12 to 16. The convention focused less on nuclear weapons and more on more poorly
guarded nuclear materials that could be used to build weapons or dirty bombs. The
reason for this focus: Obtaining enough plutonium or highly enriched uranium is the
most important step toward getting a nuclear weapon. A former U.S. ambassador-atlarge for nonproliferation issues said it is possible that al Qaeda or some other terrorist
group could steal or buy ready-made nukes. The world’s warheads, however, are
relatively secure and accounted for. The stockpiles of fissile materials sprinkled around
the globe are another matter. “I think the chances of Al Qaeda acquiring fissile material
and making its own improvised nuclear device are greater than the chances it will get
an already-fabricated weapon and detonate that,” said the ambassador, now president of
the MacArthur Foundation, in a Monday speech. Fissile material is held at hundreds of
locations, with varying levels of security. There are more than 130 research reactors
alone that are powered by HEU, some of them in developing or transitional countries,
notes the Belfer Center.
Source: http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/weapon-grade-fissile-material-worldcould-yield-126500-nuclear-bombs
See item 50
For another story, see item 35
[Return to top]
Critical Manufacturing Sector
10. April 19, Bloomberg – (International) Rio, BHP, Fortescue hit by China computer
hackers. Rio Tinto Group faced cyber attacks from China at about the time of the
arrest of four executives in the country, Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC) reported.
The news agency also said that BHP Billiton Ltd. and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.
were also attacked. Hackers hit Rio’s computer network last year, ABC said on its
‘Four Corners’ program, citing former employees and an Australian government
official. Rio took its Singapore office offline for almost three days to boost security
while its Perth office was also affected, the program said. BHP was targeted by hackers
during a takeover bid for Rio, ABC reported, citing an unidentified, former BHP
executive. Fortescue upgraded security after hackers sought to access its systems in
Perth and the Pilbara in Australia, ABC said, citing mining executives. The company
does not comment on security, a spokesman said.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aK3S1znYK6o8
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11. April 16, Associated Press – (National) Toyota to recall 600,000 minivans. Toyota
Motor Corporation said Friday it was recalling 600,000 Sienna minivans sold in the
United States to address potential rusting, spare-tire cables that could break and create a
road hazard in the latest safety problem to strike the beleaguered automaker. The recall
came as U.S. House of Representatives’ investigators said they planned to hold another
congressional hearing in May to review potential electronic problems in runaway
Toyotas. The Japanese automaker has recalled more than 8 million vehicles because of
faulty accelerator pedals, humbling a car company long known for its quality and
safety. Separately, Toyota said Friday its engineers in Japan had duplicated the same
results of tests that led Consumer Reports to issue a rare ‘‘don’t buy’’ warning on the
2010 Lexus GX 460 over rollover concerns. Toyota responded by halting sales of new
GX 460s and conducting tests on all of its SUVs. Toyota said its latest recall covered
the 1998-2010 model year Siennas with two-wheel-drive that have been sold or
registered in 20 cold-climate states and the District of Columbia. Toyota said rust from
road salt could cause the carrier cable that holds the spare tire to rust and break,
allowing the tire to tumble into the road. The problem could threaten the safety of other
drivers.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/04/16/us/AP-US-ToyotaRecall.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
12. April 16, Jersey Journal – (New Jersey) About $60,000 in metal taken in burglary at
Hoboken factory. Nearly $60,000 worth of aluminum castings and scrap metal was
stolen from a factory on Adams Street in Hoboken, New Jersey either the night of April
12 or morning of April 13, according to police reports. The thieves also stole a 5horsepower compressor from the American Magnesium and Aluminum Corporation
factory. The precious metal scraps were to be used to make parts for a helicopter rotor.
The aluminum castings, the bulk of what was stolen, were worth $58,000. The owner’s
son told police that someone likely entered the factory through a rear window, which
was found broken, and then entered the compressor room. The son said he thinks the
burglars opened the front-driveway door, pulled in a vehicle, and used the company
forklift to load the items. Police said the investigation is ongoing and none of the
missing items have been recovered. American Magnesium and Aluminum Corporation
specializes in manufacturing, production, and wholesale metal.
Source: http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/hoboken/index.ssf?/base/news2/1271399133306430.xml&coll=3
13. April 16, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – (Michigan; Illinois; Indiana) EPA
settles with Alro Steel for chemical inventory reporting violations in Illinois,
Michigan and Indiana. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 recently
settled a case of hazardous, chemical-reporting violations involving Alro Steel Corp. of
Jackson, Michigan. The consent agreement and final order applies to Alro facilities in
Lansing, Michigan; Melrose Park, Illinois; and Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Federal law requires that state and local authorities be notified of hazardous chemical
storage, according to the EPA. In the event of a fire or emergency, responders need to
know what they are dealing with so they can take steps to protect people living or
working in the area, the agency indicated in a news release. Alro Steel paid $120,000 to
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resolve the EPA notice that the company failed to submit the required chemical
inventory forms for a variety of hazardous chemicals to state and local authorities in
four locations. The hazardous chemicals Alro used in its processing of steel include
hydrogen, cutting fluid, acrylic enamels, chemtane, methane, propylene, propane,
nitrogen, carbon dioxide gas, oxygen, argon and acetylene. Alro also must report on its
lead-acid batteries because they contain sulfuric acid and lead.
Source:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/AB89408D97A8024E85257707005A8344
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Defense Industrial Base Sector
14. April 19, Aviation Week – (National) U.S. Army unveils unmanned air
roadmap. The U.S. Army’s vice chief of staff unveiled the armed service’s Unmanned
Aircraft Systems Roadmap for 2010-2035, which stresses the importance of mannedunmanned teaming and common control across systems. “The evolution of [unmanned
aerial system (UAS) ] isn’t done,” the general said, addressing an audience at the Army
Aviation Association of America show, known as Quad-A. “Our UAS must provide not
only the ability to see the battlefield, but to shape the battlefield.” The UAS strategy
will be divided into three time periods: near-term (2010-2015), midterm (2016-2025)
and far-term (2026-2035). On a chart that plots out the three phases, the biggest shift in
concepts of operation arrives between 2016 and 2025, when the AH-64D Apache and
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior seem to evolve into optionally piloted vehicles (OPV), as do
the UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook. Sikorsky Aircraft is already developing
an OPV Black Hawk demonstrator, with plans to fly the aircraft later this year. Overall,
the near-term focus of the roadmap is to continue rapid integration of existing
technologies. Midterm, the priority shifts to full integration of UAS into all aspects of
Army operations. Far-term, the Army hopes to determine how to increase the
endurance and carrying capacity of its UAS while decreasing size, weight and power
requirements. “This is not a budgetary or acquisition policy document,” the general
stressed. “It’s a long-range, strategic vision.” The document will be reviewed and
updated every two years to reflect current operational requirements, changing
technology and policy, he added. Under the roadmap, by 2026 the Army will have
achieved a list of highly advanced capabilities including swarming, cognitive-aiding
software and fully compliant sense and avoid.
Source:
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/asd/2010/04/19/11.xml&h
eadline=U.S. Army Unveils Unmanned Air Roadmap&channel=defense
15. April 18, Knoxville News Sentinel – (Tennessee) Y-12 plays a role in securing
uranium. Amid ultra-tight security, just days before the February 27 earthquake rocked
Chile, three employees from the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant were taking care of
business at a research reactor 20 miles from the capital city of Santiago. They were
carefully packaging highly enriched uranium fuel - material that could be converted
into a nuclear weapon - for eventual transport to the Oak Ridge nuclear plant in
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Tennessee for safe-keeping. The secret mission, carried out with the cooperation of
Chilean authorities, was similar to dozens of other projects conducted around the world
in recent years to keep terrorists from getting their hands on nuclear materials. Y-12
played a role in some of those recovery projects, and that role could grow as a result of
last week’s Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., where representatives of 47
nations pledged to secure all vulnerable nuclear material within four years. Historically,
the Oak Ridge plant has produced uranium parts for every nuclear weapon in the U.S.
arsenal, and it is that uranium expertise that has made Y-12 a valuable player in
nonproliferation and counter-terrorism efforts.
Source: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/apr/18/y-12-plays-a-role-in-securinguranium/
For another story, see item 50
[Return to top]
Banking and Finance Sector
16. April 18, Orange County Register – (California) Bomb threat empties bank for two
hours. The Irvine (California) Police Department is asking for the public’s help in
finding the person or persons who left a bomb threat at a Wells Fargo bank, Saturday
morning. An employee at the Wells Fargo at 3951 Portola Parkway found a note left
outside the door warning of a bomb inside the bank about 9:30 a.m., a police lieutenant
said. The bank was evacuated for more than two hours while police and member of the
Orange County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad searched the bank with bomb-sniffing dogs.
“There was no bomb,” the police lieutenant said. “There are no leads and no suspects.”
Source: http://www.ocregister.com/news/bomb-244570-bank-police.html
17. April 17, Bank Info Security – (National) Regulators close 8 banks. State and federal
banking regulators closed eight banks on April 16. TD Bank on April 16 acquired the
banking operations of three separate Florida-banking institutions: AmericanFirst Bank,
Clermont; First Federal Bank of North Florida, Palatka; and Riverside National Bank of
Florida, Fort Pierce. The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund
(DIF) for AmericanFirst Bank will be $10.5 million; for First Federal Bank of North
Florida, $6 million; and for Riverside National Bank of Florida, $491.8 million. The
FDIC approved the payout of the insured deposits of Lakeside Community Bank,
Sterling Heights, Mich. The FDIC estimates the cost of the failure to its DIF Fund to be
about $11.2 million. Butler Bank, Lowell, Mass., was closed; the FDIC entered into a
purchase and assumption agreement with People’s United Bank, Bridgeport, Conn., to
assume all of the deposits of Butler Bank. The FDIC estimates that the cost to the DIF
will be $22.9 million. Innovative Bank, Oakland, Calif., was closed; the FDIC entered
into a purchase and assumption agreement with Center Bank, Los Angeles, to assume
all of the deposits of Innovative Bank. The FDIC estimates that the cost to the DIF will
be $37.8 million. Tamalpais Bank, San Rafael, Calif., was closed; the FDIC entered
into a purchase and assumption agreement with Union Bank, National Association, San
Francisco, to assume all of the deposits of Tamalpais Bank. The FDIC estimates that
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the cost to the DIF will be $81.1 million. City Bank, Lynnwood, Wash., was closed; the
FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Whidbey Island Bank,
Coupeville, Wash., to assume all of the deposits of City Bank. The FDIC estimates that
the cost to the DIF will be $323.4 million.
Source: http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/articles.php?art_id=2433
18. April 17, Associated Press – (Oregon) Bank evacuated after threat, no bomb
found. A Wells Fargo bank branch and several surrounding businesses in Aloha,
Oregon, were evacuated on April 16 after the bank received a telephoned bomb threat.
A section of nearby Highway 8 was temporarily closed as well. A Washington County
sheriff’s sergeant said the caller told bank staff to place money in a garbage can just
outside the bank or he would set off several bombs he claimed were in the building.
Employees did as the caller directed and then called 911. Sheriff’s deputies, the FBI
and the Portland police bomb squad responded. No bombs were found and the money
was recovered from the spot where the bank employee left it.
Source: http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=12328154
19. April 17, Houma Today – (Louisiana) Warning: Watch out for fraudulent, credit
card charges. Authorities are investigating reports of an outbreak of credit-card fraud
perpetrated against Houma Louisiana-area residents, officials and bankers said. An
attorney with the Schwab Law Firm in Houma said she was alarmed on April 14 to find
her corporate debit card had been charged with more than $3,000 worth of expenses
from Florida theme parks. While visiting Capital One Bank to try and work out the
problem, she ran into about five other customers who were there for the same reason.
The others reported evidence of local charges and shopping in Mississippi and Florida.
A senior operations officer at South Louisiana Bank said the bank detected fraudulent
activity on some of its customers’ cards and was able to notify them. He said it looks
like a case of so-called “skimming,” where someone collects information from people’s
cards and creates fake ones so the data can be used to make purchases.
Source:
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20100417/ARTICLES/100419476/1211/NEWS01
?Title=Warning-Watch-out-for-fraudulent-charges-on-your-credit-cards
20. April 16, LegalNewsline.com – (Florida) Fla. financial services company settles over
data breach. Florida’s attorney general has announced a settlement with a financialservices company that allegedly exposed the personal information of approximately 5.9
million consumer files during a data breach. Certegy Check Services, Inc., based in St.
Petersburg, was alleged to have failed to provide adequate data security for consumer
records. Under terms of the settlement, Certegy has agreed to ensure that safeguards are
put in place to protect consumer data. Certegy and Fidelity National Card Services, a
related company, are subsidiaries of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. The
companies reported in July 2007 that a former company employee had stolen customer
data. Certegy promptly notified the attorney general and its consumers of the data thefts
and fully cooperated with the attorney general’s investigation. The Certegy employee
who perpetrated the crime was convicted of fraud and is currently serving a 57-month
sentence in federal prison.
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Source: http://www.legalnewsline.com/news/226670-fla.-financial-services-companysettles-over-data-breach
21. April 16, Sun Sentinel – (Florida) FBI looking for Miramar credit union
robbers. The FBI on April 16 released photos of three robbers who targeted a creditunion office in Miramar, Florida while one was strapped with a bogus bomb earlier in
the week. The robbery took place at about 10:30 a.m. April 12 at the Eastern Financial
Federal Credit Union at 2500 S. University Drive. The trio walked into the credit-union
office carrying handguns, ordered customers and employees to the ground and
demanded money from each teller. One of the robbers, wearing a vest with pipes that
looked like an explosive device, took the money from the tellers, then ordered
employees to take him into the vault, where he took more money. The two other
robbers served as lookouts, then told the third robber in the vault they had to leave right
away, the FBI said. The three men fled through the back door, leaving the vest behind.
Investigators later determined the bomb to be fake. The robbers were men in their early
20s, wearing dark clothing and black gloves. One had a Yankees hat; another wore a
Pittsburgh Pirates cap. The robbery appeared to be related to heists at Regions Bank in
Plantation, March 31, Bank of America in Miami Gardens, March 17, and Chase Bank
in North Miami Beach, March 15, the FBI said.
Source: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-04-16/news/fl-miramar-bank-robbery20100416_1_credit-union-robbers-fbi-clothing-and-black-gloves
[Return to top]
Transportation Sector
22. April 19, CNSNews – (International) Europe grapples with continuing travel chaos
caused by ash cloud. Reeling from disruptions described as worse than those caused
by 9/11, European airline and airport operators are appealing for authorities to reassess
the flying ban imposed as a result of volcanic ash drifting unpredictably across the
continent’s skies. As individual governments in the worst-affected countries grappled
with the challenges of bringing home citizens stranded abroad – the British government
said it would deploy the Royal Navy to retrieve stranded air passengers — the
European Union tried to formulate an E.U-wide response to the crisis. Meanwhile,
several airlines took the initiative this past weekend of carrying out their own short, test
flights without passengers, attempting a range of altitudes in and around the affected
airspace in their regions. No mishaps were reported, and airlines – among them KLM,
Lufthansa and British Airways – reported no signs of damage or harm to aircraft
systems. Airspace in more than 20 countries has been partly or completely closed, and
the ripple effect on long-haul routes has been substantial. U.S. carriers are issuing
travel waivers for all flights to, from or through major European hubs until April 22.
On Sunday night, the British Met Office reported that the volcano was still erupting and
that weather patterns were continuing to blow ash towards the U.K. The International
Air Transport Association estimates conservatively that airlines have been losing
around $200 million a day in lost revenue alone, and incurring further significant costs
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to deal with grounded aircraft and hundreds of thousands of stranded passengers.
Source: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/64317
23. April 18, Associated Press – (New York) NY-bound flight reports laser in cockpit:
official. A JetBlue Airways official said the pilot of a New York-bound flight reported
what appeared to be a laser directed into the cockpit of the airplane. A JetBlue
spokesman said Sunday the plane landed safely and the incident was reported to air
traffic controllers. The pilot was unhurt. The spokesman said Flight 607 from Portland,
Maine, was on approach to JFK on Saturday night when the pilot noticed the laser
coming through the window. The flight landed around 8 p.m. The Port Authority of
New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, said police are investigating.
Source:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2010/04/18/ny_bound_flight_reports
_laser_in_cockpit_official/
For more stories, see items 4, 5, 6, and 42
[Return to top]
Postal and Shipping Sector
24. April 18, Sun Chronicle – (Nevada) Acid-like smell shuts post office. The Wrentham,
Nevada post office and an adjacent dance school were closed for more than two hours
Saturday after employees smelled an “acid-like” odor inside the shared building. Both
the post office and the Dance and Beyond School were evacuated when employees
began to notice something that smelled like an acid, the town’s deputy fire chief said.
The shared building is located in a small shopping area at 100 Randall Road. Other
businesses in the center were allowed to stay open, as they were not affected by the
smell, which originated inside the post office, and leaked into the dance school. The
deputy fire chief said firefighters initially could not find the source of the smell. Town
fire officials requested assistance from the regional Hazardous Materials Response
Team, which responded to the scene and analyzed detailed air samples in a mobileresponse van. Based on the test results, fire crews were able to track the acid-like smell
back to a utility closet and a container of floor-cleaning solvent that was used the week
before, when the floors of the building were washed and stripped. Firefighters then
used high-powered fans to pull the fumes from the building, before employees were
allowed back inside.
Source: http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2010/04/18/news/7266434.txt
[Return to top]
Agriculture and Food Sector
25. April 19, USDA Agricultural Research Service – (National) Tracing Listeria
monocytogenes in a commercial chicken cooking plant. Incoming raw poultry is the
primary source of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in commercial, chicken-
- 11 -
cooking plants, according to a 21-month study conducted by Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) scientists and their University of Georgia collaborators. The goal is to
help such facilities focus sanitation processes to reduce cross-contamination. L.
monocytogenes is a bacterial human pathogen that is sometimes found in fully cooked,
ready-to-eat processed meat and poultry products. By testing a brand-new, commercial
cooking facility before and after processing began, the research team was able to track
many sources of contamination, including employees, incoming fresh air, raw meat,
and the surrounding environment. Researchers tested soil and water samples near the
facility exterior, tested incoming air from air vents, and tested heavily traveled floor
surfaces following personnel shift changes. They also took monthly swabs of incoming
raw meat. The plant was free of L. monocytogenes when first constructed; floor drains
were sampled monthly to determine when the plant would become colonized. Within
four months of operation, L. monocytogenes was detected in floor drains, indicating the
organism had been introduced from an outside source. No bacteria were recovered from
any floor samples in the plant entryways, locker room or cafeteria. Likewise, the
organism was not detected on air vent filters during the survey. The only tested source
found to be consistently positive for L. monocytogenes was incoming raw poultry
meat. This research was reported in the Journal of Food Protection.
Source: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100419.htm
26. April 19, Food Safety News – (National) School food safety inspections
lacking. Although federal law requires schools across the country to have food safety
inspections twice a year, nearly 9,000 schools during the 2007-2008 school year did
not. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition
Service (USDAFNS), almost 27,000 schools received one food safety inspection or
were not inspected at all. Certain health standards are required by every school that
serves meals as a part of the federally funded National School Lunch Program or the
School Breakfast Program. According to a USDAFNS spokeswoman, “They are
checking for cleanliness, hazard procedures, and if the food is at the appropriate
temperature. Not doing them [the inspections] is not meeting the requirements set forth
by law.” About 70,000 schools in the U.S. met or exceeded two inspections during the
2007-2008 school year according to the latest reports. Ranked highest, with 98 percent
having met the requirement, was Tennessee. Maine ranked the worst, having reported
98 percent of schools had received one inspection or less. “We know across the country
that local and state governments are being squeezed, and they may not have enough
inspectors to get to every place,” the USDAFNS spokewoman said. “While we are
sensitive to the concerns and challenges to getting these done, they do need to be
completed.”
Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/04/school-food-safety-inspectionslacking/
27. April 19, Food Safety News – (California; National) Undeclared wheat brings meat
recall. By mistakenly not disclosing wheat starch on the ingredient label, a California
meat processor has been forced to recall 140,000 pounds of fully cooked assorted
products. Santa Ana, California-based Westlake Food Corporation issued the recall
over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection
- 12 -
Service (FSIS) said. Wheat is a known allergen. FSIS said there is low health risk
involved in the Class II recall, except for people with wheat allergies. The products
subject to recall include: 14-ounce packages of Gio Lua Tay Ho Pork Meat Loaf
Wrapped in Banana leaves fully cooked; 13-ounce packages of Bo Ven Tay Ho Beef
Meat Ball Fully Cooked; 14-ounce packages of Doi Gio Heo Tay Ho Cured Pork Hock
Sausage With Onion Wrapped in Pork Skin Fully Cooked; 15-ounce packages of Cha
Chieen Tay Ho Fried Pork Pattie Fried in Vegetable Oil Fully Cooked; 13-ounce
packages of Bo Vien Gan Tay Ho Beef Meat Ball With Beef Tendon Fully Cooked that
was produced between April 15, 2009 and April 14, 2010. Each package bears the
establishment number “EST. 1627A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The
products were produced between January 1, 2010 and April 14, 2010, unless otherwise
noted above. These products were distributed to restaurants and retail establishments
nationwide. The labeling error was discovered by FSIS during a routine inspection.
FSIS and the company have received no reports of adverse reactions due to
consumption of these products.
Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/04/undeclared-wheat-brings-meatrecall/
28. April 19, Food Safety News – (California; National) Winco expands fresh beef
recall. WinCo Foods announced Saturday that it is issuing an expansion of a Class 1
recall of fresh ground beef products to include ground beef sold at all of its retail stores.
The original recall included ground beef sold only at its Modesto, California outlet.
Now all fresh ground beef packed in Styrofoam trays and sold at any of its stores
between March 28 and April 9 are subject to the recall. Winco said the ground beef
should either be returned to the store for a refund or destroyed. No illnesses have been
associated with the ground beef recalled by Winco. The original recall came after an
independent lab tested two samples of ground beef purchased at the Modesto WinCo
that were found contaminated with the dangerous E. coli O157:H7 pathogen. Since
then, Winco said the retail chain cooperated with public health authorities and new
information implicated its ground beef supplier for the E. coli contamination. Winco
opted to expand the recall to include all fresh, ground beef purchased from any of its
stores during the period, an action advised by the California Department of Public
Health. The USDA is investigating, according to the Modesto Bee, but declined to
provide further information out of concern for jeopardizing the probe. There are 70
WinCo stores located in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho and Utah.
Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/04/winco-expands-fresh-beef-recall/
29. April 19, Dayton Daily News – (Ohio; National) Crops threatened by large volume of
honeybee deaths. An estimated 50 to 70 percent of hives kept by Ohio beekeepers died
over the winter, said a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The
losses are in keeping with heavy fatality rates experienced since 2006 — a year when
600,000 bee colonies in the U.S. mysteriously fled their homes and disappeared, said
Ohio’s state honeybee specialist. “The average person should care,” he said. “Bees of
all species are fundamental to the operation of our ecosystem.” Without bees to
pollinate vegetables like squash and fruits like pears, apples and blueberries — a third
of the human diet — you’d be looking at a menu of wheat and corn,” the honeybee
- 13 -
expert said. Bees annually pollinate Ohio crops worth $44 million, including berries,
fruits and vegetables. Honeybees are under siege from many foes: Destructive mites,
pesticides, a mysterious disorder that causes them to abandon hives, and stress from
overwork to pollinate cash crops. In the 1920s, Ohio beekeepers kept 120,000 colonies.
Today, there are about 30,000.
Source: http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/-44m-in-cropsthreatened-by-high-honeybee-deaths-through-winter-660027.html
30. April 19, High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal – (Texas) Cattlemen urge DHS to increase
border security. The Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas has urged the
Department of Homeland Security Secretary to increase security along the TexasMexico border. Due to increased drug smuggling and Mexican drug cartel infighting,
many border area ranchers are subject to increasing danger as they care for their
livestock and work on their ranches. In their letter to the Secretary, the ICA requested
more attention be taken to secure the private properties that are along the border.
“When ranchers have to arm themselves with assault rifles prior to venturing onto their
own ranches, it is time for action to be taken by Homeland Security,” said ICA’s
executive director. “The recent murder of a rancher along the Arizona-Mexico border
exemplifies the need for increased security for our Texas landowners.”
Source:
http://www.hpj.com/archives/2010/apr10/apr19/0408ICAUrgesDHStoTightenBor.cfm?
title=Cattlemen urge DHS to increase border security
31. April 18, Associated Content – (New York) Trail mix recalled due to undeclared
sulfites. Nut Tree Health Mix has been recalled due to undeclared sulfites, also seen
spelled as sulphites. This is a voluntary recall, and to date no serious reactions have
been reported. Those who are sensitive to sulfites may have a life-threatening reaction.
Anyone who feels they are having a reaction to any food product should seek medical
attention immediately. An allergic reaction can cause death in some individuals. Nut
Tree Health Mix is sold in an 8-ounce square plastic tub. Each package is stamped with
the expiration date of September 28, 2010. The contents of the package are a product of
Turkey, the Philippines and the United States. The packages were distributed in New
York, and it seems unlikely the product is in other states. The mislabeling was found
during a sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture. Anyone who has
packages of Nut Tree Health Mix may return the product to the place of purchase for a
refund if they have a sulfite concern.
Source:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2906250/nut_tree_health_mix_recalled_due_
to.html
32. April 18, Associated Press – (Minnesota) Minn. officials warn of eating
uneviscerated fish. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is warning consumers to
avoid eating dried fish that still have their internal organs inside. MDA officials found
and embargoed more than 400 pounds of so-called uneviscerated fish at ethnic grocery
stores in the Twin Cities. The MDA said eating such fish could result in food
poisoning. The dried, uneviscerated fish are typically salted and sometimes smoked.
- 14 -
Consumers who have any at home are asked to throw it away. There haven’t been any
reports of illness linked to consumption of the fish. But MDA officials embargoed the
product because of the risk it was contaminated with the bacteria known to produce a
potentially deadly toxin. MDA officials are investigating where the product came from
and how it ended up in the stores.
Source: http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/32393/group/homepage/
[Return to top]
Water Sector
33. April 19, WHTC 1450 Holland – (Michigan) Waters to be tested. Ottawa County
(Michigan) Health Department officials will retest the waters of the Cedar Drain,
Noordellos Creek and the Black/Macatawa River on April 19, looking to see if E. coli
markers are back to safe levels. The tributaries up to the River Avenue Bridge were
declared off-limits to body contact through the weekend after about 275,000 gallons of
sewage overflowed from the Zeeland Wastewater Treatment plant on Friday.
Source: http://www.whtc.com/news/articles/2010/apr/19/waters-be-tested/
34. April 17, Green Bay Press-Gazette – (Wisconsin) Homeland Security grant funds
Brown County pipeline testing. Brown County in Wisconsin will receive a grant
worth a little more than $12,500 in federal Homeland Security funds to conduct an
emergency preparedness test of the pipeline that brings drinking water to area
communities from Lake Michigan. The grant was part of a $315,000 federal grant for
25 emergency management agencies across the state, the Wisconsin Office of Justice
Assistance said. The Brown County Emergency Management director said the exercise
will test local response plans to a disruption to the Central Brown County Water
Authority’s pipeline. The authority provides water to Allouez, Bellevue, De Pere,
Howard, Lawrence, and Ledgeview. “It could be any kind of disruption, whether
caused by mechanical failure, weather or terrorism,” the director said. “It will test how
well we handle an emergency.” Exercises routinely test response plans at airports,
utilities, railways, highways and ports, he said. The pipeline test, to be done before June
2011, will be a mid-level functional exercise, he said.
Source:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100417/GPG0101/4170525/1207/GPG
01
35. April 16, Denver Post – (Colorado) Defunct uranium mine is contaminating
groundwater near a reservoir. A defunct uranium mine in Jefferson County in
Colorado is contaminating groundwater near a reservoir, but government regulators and
mine executives have yet to settle on a plan for cleanup. Uranium concentrations in
groundwater 30 feet beneath the brim of the Schwartzwalder Mine exceed the human
health standard for uranium by more than 1,000 times, according to state records
reviewed Thursday. Unhealthy concentrations also were detected in Ralston Creek,
which eventually enters Denver Water’s Ralston Reservoir. The reservoir supplies
water to Denver and Arvada. Denver Water managers say no uranium contamination
- 15 -
has entered the drinking-water supply. State officials said they want the mine’s owner
— Greenwood Village-based Cotter Corp., a subsidiary of General Atomics — to
submit by Monday a plan for dealing with the contamination. Colorado mining
regulators warned Cotter in July “that water-quality degradation at the Schwartzwalder
Mine is critical and may be approaching conditions requiring emergency response.”
Three months later, state officials rejected an initial, Cotter protection plan as
inadequate, declaring “a potential hazard to human health, property and the
environment.” Neither Cotter nor the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment, which is responsible for water quality, notified Denver Water.
Source: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14894696
36. April 15, KVAL 13 Eugene – (Oregon) Crash dumps human waste near city’s water
supply. A tanker truck hauling thousands of gallons of human waste crashed off a
bridge Thursday, igniting portions of the truck, dumping sewage in a field, spilling
diesel fuel into a creek that feeds into Winston, Oregon’s water supply — and sparking
fears of a natural gas leak. City workers shut down a water intake to prevent diesel
from entering the water supply. The truck driver was uninjured. Police investigated the
crash, and a fire official said it could have been worse if the truck had hit telephone
lines and sparked an explosion. The crash closed both lanes of the highway from 10
a.m. until 5 p.m. A 4-inch, surface line carrying natural gas was dented underneath the
bridge as some concrete broke away. The fire department was concerned about leaks,
and gas company crews responded to check the pipe. The truck was carrying 4,000
gallons of human sewage from Coquille on the Oregon Coast en route to Wilbur, Ore.,
when it sideswiped the Lookingglass Bridge on Highway 42 west of Winston. Pieces of
the truck caught on fire after the crash, and an undetermined amount of diesel fuel
spilled into Lookingglass Creek, which feeds into the the South Umpqua River. The
Winston water department halted pumping water from the river. KPIC News did not
believe sewage had leaked into the water based on interviews and the appearance at the
scene. An Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson said crews from First
Strike installed a “sea curtain” in the creek to prevent diesel from getting into the river.
The trucking company responded to pump fuel out of the truck and to clean up the
spilled human waste. Avista Utilities and maintance crews inspected bridge damage
and the 4-inch transmission gas pipe that was dented after a large piece of concrete
debris swung over the side of bridge. A captain from the Winston-Dillard Fire
Deptartment said a gas detector showed that no gas leak occurred.
Source: http://www.kval.com/news/local/90954594.html
[Return to top]
Public Health and Healthcare Sector
37. April 19, Associated Press – (Alaska) Suspicious white powder closes Juneau
hospital offices. Tests done on a suspicious powder found in a shipping box at Bartlett
Regional Hospital have determined it was no threat. The hospital in Juneau reopened an
area of administrative offices April 16 that had been quarantined since April 14. The
powder was tested for biological threats at the State of Alaska Epidemiology Lab in
- 16 -
Anchorage and found to be benign. A hospital spokesman said operations were back to
normal.
Source: http://www.adn.com/2010/04/18/1239284/a-suspicious-white-powdercloses.html
38. April 19, WPIX 11 New York – (New York) Industrial spill causes partial evacuation
of hospital, 6 injured. At least six employees have been injured after a hazardous
materials situation developed at a hospital in Amityville on Long Island. A
concentrated industrial cleaner spilled in the basement of one of the buildings on the
campus of South Oaks Hospital and fumes spread Monday morning at about 8:30 a.m.,
according to the Amityville Police Department. PIX’s Air 11 was over the scene where
various fire departments in the surrounding communities including East Farmingdale
and North Lindenhurst responded. The victims, who suffered from inhalation of the
fumes, were transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip. The South Oaks
Hospital web site states that it offers services for mental health issues and addiction.
The cause of the spill is under investigation.
Source: http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-hazmat-south-oaks-hospital-041910,0,280710.story
39. April 16, Associated Press – (North Carolina) Hospira says it received 2 FDA
warning letters. Hospira Inc. said April 16 it received a warning letter from the Food
and Drug Administration after it discovered manufacturing problems at two facilities in
North Carolina. The Lake Forest, Illinois company said the FDA sent an April 12
warning letter after inspecting manufacturing facilities in Rocky Mount and Clayton.
Hospira said it was informed that emulsion products at the Clayton facility did not meet
manufacturing standards, and that manufacturing processes at Rocky Mount were not
properly validated. Some problems were repeat violations that were first discovered in
an April 2009 inspection. The warning letter does not bar Hospira from making or
selling any products, but the company said it will delay shipments of some products
until it can investigate and discuss the warnings with the FDA. Hospira said it plans to
conduct a comprehensive review of manufacturing operations to make sure they are in
compliance with government standards. It also plans to make a full response to the
FDA’s letter.
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9F4DS881.htm
40. April 16, The Register – (International) Microsoft wants pacemaker password
tattoos. A Microsoft researcher has suggested tattooing passwords on patients with
pacemakers and other implanted, medical devices to ensure the remotely controlled
gadgets can be accessed during emergencies. The proposal is the latest to grapple with
the security of implanted, medical devices equipped with radio transmitters that can be
controlled without the need for surgery. Besides pacemakers, other types of potentially
vulnerable devices include insulin pumps and cardiac defibrillators. In 2008,
researchers demonstrated that heart monitors were susceptible to wireless hacks that
caused pacemakers to shut off or leak personal information. But equally devastating are
scenarios where physicians are unable to provide emergency care because they don’t
have the access codes needed to control the devices. In a paper published last week, the
- 17 -
researcher proposed permitting access to such devices to be controlled with encryption
similar to what’s used on wifi networks. Access keys would then be tattooed on
patients using ink that’s invisible under most conditions.
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/16/pacemaker_security_tattoo/
41. April 16, Asbury Park Press – (New Jersey) Leak of sterilant gas at Lakewood
hospital fixed. A leak of a gas used to sterilize equipment was fixed at Kimball
Medical Center in Lakewood on April 16. The Berkeley hazardous materials team was
called to the hospital after the leak of ethylene oxide was reported about 8:20 p.m., said
a Lakewood police sergeant. The leak was subsequently contained and no patients
needed to be evacuated from the hospital. The first assistant chief of the Lakewood Fire
Department said the leak was not in the immediate vicinity of the emergency room, the
crisis center, or other areas where patients would be Friday night. However, he said that
staff in the pharmacy and operating room near the leak were evacuated from those
areas. The haz-mat team took measurements and readings in the hospital to determine
the presence of the substance, but the readings were negative, he said. Ethylene oxide is
used to sterilize medical equipment and supplies.
Source: http://www.app.com/article/20100416/NEWS/100416130/Leak-of-sterilantgas-at-Lakewood-hospital-fixed[Return to top]
Government Facilities Sector
42. April 19, Associated Press – (International) Diplomat: NATO F-16 fighters damaged
by volcanic ash but landed safely. A senior Western diplomat said several NATO F16 fighters flew through a cloud of volcanic ash and one suffered engine damage. The
official, who could not be named under standing regulations, declined on Monday to
provide further details on where or when the incident happened. He said only that
glass-like deposits were found inside the plane’s engine after a patrol through European
airspace. The NATO Secretary-General said Monday the ash cloud was not affecting
the alliance’s military readiness, although he declined to comment on specific missions.
Addressing reports that some troop flights across Russia and Central Asia to
Afghanistan had to be delayed due to the closures of air space and other air traffic
restrictions, he stressed that operations in Afghanistan had not been affected.
Source: http://www.todayonline.com/BreakingNews/EDC100419-0000239/Diplomat-NATO-F-16-fighters-damaged-by-volcanic-ash-but-landed-safely
43. April 19, WFTS 28 Tampa – (Florida) MacDill’s Dale Mabry re-opened after driver
attempts illegal entry. Officials at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida were
forced to close the Dale Mabry gate early Monday because of damage caused by a
vehicle trying to make an illegal entry. The gate was re-opened shortly before 10:30
a.m. Security forces at MacDill said they were forced to deploy a emergency
mechanism that stops vehicles from entering the base when a car full of people drove
past the main gate. Tampa Police say they arrested the people in the car. Security
officials at MacDill said there is no reason to suspect terrorism at this point. Before the
- 18 -
gate was reopened, motorists had to use the Interbay and Bayshore entrances.
Source:
http://www.abcactionnews.com/content/news/local/hillsborough/west/tampa/story/Mac
Dills-Dale-Mabry-re-opened-after-driver/VwmRPDIKiky9o0pYn-jaeg.cspx
44. April 19, Washington Post – (National) Analysis: College leaders should review
threat-assessment capacities. Colleges and universities should review their threatassessment capacities because some of the conventional beliefs about these attacks are
not accurate, a new report issued by the federal government shows. For example, while
much attention is given to the “traveling” attacker, such as the student who killed 32
students in a shooting spree at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, only 3 percent of
perpetrators of campus violence actually moved from building to building. Ever since
23-year-old shooter, killed 32 students and wounded 17 at Virginia Tech, college
leaders have been reviewing and improving their threat-assessment procedures and
their ability to respond to a dangerous situation. They must reassess their approach,
according to the new report, called “Campus Attacks: Targeted Violence Affecting
Institutions Of Higher Education,” which was just issued jointly by the U.S. Secret
Service, the Education Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The study
analyzed 272 acts of violence against specific targets on college campuses in 42 states
and Washington D.C., from 1900 through 2008. The attacks resulted in 281 deaths,
including 190 students and 72 employees. Another 247 people were injured in attacks
on campuses, including 144 students and 35 employees. Most of the attacks were
carried out by one person. About 94 percent of the perpetrators were male, and they had
an average age of 28, the report said.
Source: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/higher-education/new-analysisof-violence-on-ca.html
45. April 19, Associated Press – (Maryland) Maryland high school evacuated for
suspected gas leak. Montgomery County school officials said students have been let
back into a Rockville, Maryland high school after the building was evacuated Monday
for a suspected gas leak. School system officials said Quince Orchard High School was
evacuated after people smelled gas in the building. The leak was reported to the central
office around 7:30 a.m. Monday. Students were let back into the building around 9 a.m.
The cause of the suspected leak is under investigation.
Source: http://wjz.com/wireapnewsmd/Students.return.to.2.1641496.html
46. April 19, Associated Press – (Wisconsin) Wisconsin high school student charged
with bomb threat. An 18-year-old Mondovi (Wisconsin) High School student has
been charged with making a bomb threat at the school. Prosecutors said the suspect
wrote a bomb-scare note that was found in a school restroom. The Mondovi police
chief said a student found a note March 12 saying a bomb was in a locker. School
administrators locked down the school and evacuated two classrooms. Police reports
said no bomb was found. An investigation led police to paper scraps in the suspect’s
desk. According to police reports quoted by the Winona Daily News, the suspect
acknowledged writing that note and a second falsely claiming someone had a gun. The
report said the student was asked why she wrote the threatening notes and she said she
- 19 -
was having problems at school and at home.
Source: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/04/19/bomb-scare-charge/
47. April 16, WSMV 4 Nashville – (Tennessee) Man threatens to blow up government
office. A Coffee County (Tennessee) man was arrested Friday for allegedly making
threats to commit a terrorist act. The sheriff’s department said the suspect called the
register of deeds on Thursday and threatened to shoot workers and their families, as
well as blow up the office. The suspect, 66, works for the official, and it is not the first
time he’s made such threats, the sheriff said. Currently undergoing psychological
evaluation, the man is being held on a $100,000 bond.
Source: http://www.wsmv.com/news/23175292/detail.html
48. April 16, Associated Press & McClatchy Newspapers – (National) Pentagon to revise
gun rules for military bases. The Pentagon will adopt a broad policy governing how
privately owned guns can be carried or stored at military installations after the shooting
deaths of 13 people last year at Fort Hood, Texas. The Army psychiatrist charged in the
killings had little or no access to military firearms in his job but was able to buy two
handguns and bring them onto the base. A Pentagon investigation into the killings
concluded that the policy on carrying personal weapons on military bases was
inadequate and that communication between the FBI and military was inconsistent. In
response, the Pentagon on Thursday released a summary of actions, including the
weapons-policy change, ordered by the Department of Defense Secretary for security
and administrative upgrades. The secretary ordered that the new, comprehensive
weapons policy be developed to cover all branches of the military and its bases and
offices. The new policy is expected to mirror restrictions already in place at some
military installations that, for example, require guns brought onto a base to be
registered with military police.
Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DNforthood_16nat.ART.State.Edition1.4c70b85.html
49. April 16, Yakima Herald-Republic – (Arizona) Courthouse security officer keeps
job. A Yakima County (Washington) courthouse security officer will remain on the job
the rest of this year. County officials in two departments worked out an arrangement
this week to provide the $36,000 necessary to fund the position for the remainder of
2010. The officer was to have been laid off earlier this month because of a shortage of
money in the county department of security. County officials and employees said the
pending layoff would have left the county with six officers providing security for three
buildings: the courthouse, juvenile and the Lower Valley district court. Security
staffing levels are already inadequate, county officials have said. After a HeraldRepublic story on April 7 spotlighted the security issue at the courthouse, the
prosecutor provided $4,500 to retain the security officer’s position for 30 days. Another
agreement reached Thursday will continue funding through December.
Source: http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/04/16/courthouse-security-officerkeeps-job
- 20 -
50. April 15, Homeland Security Newswire – (National) Shortcomings in U.S. safeguards
of weapon-grade nuclear materials. Reviews ordered by the U.S. President have
found weaknesses in the U.S. government’s stewardship of its nuclear cache, from
weapons to the ingredients and classified information that go into them. Several recent
reviews have found weaknesses in the government’s stewardship of its nuclear cache,
from weapons to the ingredients and classified information that go into them. The
following are among the findings. The Air Force in January removed an entire
squadron overseeing a bunker of nuclear warheads at Kirtland Air Force Base in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, citing a failed inspection that it blamed on administrative
problems. In March, the Government Accountability Office detailed problems with a
program under which at least thirty-four metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium is to
be disposed of in fuel for nuclear power plants. The Energy Department inspector
general reported in January that the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico had
not removed some highly enriched uranium while carrying out a department plan to
consolidate nuclear materials into the most secure environments possible. Last fall, the
GAO reported that the Los Alamos National Laboratory, another nuclear weapons lab
in New Mexico, had several security lapses in protecting classified information on its
computers. In September, the congressional investigators recommended that the
Pentagon make several improvements in its process for assessing threats to installations
where nuclear weapons are stored, maintained, or transported.
Source: http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/shortcomings-us-safeguards-weapongrade-nuclear-materials
See item 9
For another story, see item 53
[Return to top]
Emergency Services Sector
51. April 19, ComputerWorld – (National) Emergency network still needed, FCC public
safety chief says. Despite public pressure to keep federal spending in check, the
Federal Communications Commission’s top, public-safety official renewed his call for
creation of a $16-billion, national data network for public safety workers to be partly
financed by a monthly fee on all broadband users. “I’d say to the average citizen who
wonders why this is needed, ‘Do you want your mom’s police department to be able to
interoperate with the sheriff’s department and the national guard in a crisis?’ “ said the
chief of the FCC’s public safety and homeland security bureau. “Most will say yes. For
a few cents a month, we will make sure we have that ability.” He suggested the public
safety fee could be as low as 50 cents a month on every broadband user, although the
FCC’s National Broadband Plan announced in March calls for a “minimal” fee without
listing an amount.
Source:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9175686/Emergency_network_still_needed_F
CC_public_safety_chief_says
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52. April 17, New York Daily News – (New York) Bloods and Crips plot to kill cops
discovered in drug and gun ring takedown. A massive gang takedown in Queens,
New York, uncovered a rare alliance between Bloods and Crips and a ruthless plot to
assassinate cops, authorities said Friday. The revelations came as law enforcement
unveiled the chilling results of long-running “Operation Under Siege” - 104 suspects,
dozens of guns, two slayings and piles of drugs and cash. The sprawling case was built
on wiretaps - including recordings of a gang associate, who blabbed about plans to
protect his drug turf by killing cops on patrol. “He intended to position himself on
rooftops and shoot police officers who were compromising his business in Far
Rockaway and South Jamaica,” the police commissioner said. “Before his deadly plans
could be carried out, detectives arrested him and seized a defaced 9-mm. Hi-Point rifle,
among other weapons.” The plot was only one facet of an investigation that began two
years ago when police and prosecutors began looking into a drugs-and-guns network in
Far Rockaway. By Friday, they had arrested 104 people, closed two murder cases, and
exposed ties between Far Rockaway Crips and the Bloods in South Jamaica.
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/04/17/2010-0417_drug__gun_ring_had_finest_in_sights_united_crips_bloods_nabbed_in_takedown.h
tml
53. April 16, Nextgov – (National) Defense to use systems to share threat
information. The U.S. Defense Secretary announced Thursday that he has directed the
Defense Department to use a law-enforcement database sometimes referred to as
Google for cops to identify military personnel who could pose a threat. The goal is to
prevent violent incidents such as the Fort-Hood, Texas shootings. An independent,
review panel assembled after an Army major killed 13 people at the Army base on
Nov. 5, 2009, submitted a report to the defense secretary in January, in which it made
79 recommendations to improve safety. The study described a systemic gap in sharing
of data about potential, insider threats, and in exchanging information with state and
local-law enforcement agencies. The problem could be solved by using Navy and FBI
systems, the report said. Intelligence agencies had gathered information on the FortHood suspect months before the attack that revealed he had been in contact with al
Qaeda terrorists. However, the evidence did not reach Army or Fort Hood commanders.
LInX will be renamed the Law Enforcement National Data Exchange, and the Defense
Secretary asked the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness to deploy it
in 2011.
Source: http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100416_3573.php
54. April 15, Nextgov – (National) FBI to roll out new investigations system in 2011. The
director of the FBI, April 15, provided senators a new timeline for developing a
computer-based system for managing investigation. The program has come under
renewed criticism for cost overruns and schedule delays. A key test of the Sentinel-case
management system will be completed this summer and the FBI expects completion by
2011, the FBI director testified at a Senate Commerce, Justice and Science
Appropriations Subcommittee hearing. Plans originally called for the system to be
rolled out this fall. But the subcommittee chairwoman said she was worried the FBI is
facing another “boondoggle,” noting that the bureau wasted nearly $120 million on a
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previous, technology program that resulted in “techno junk.” The director said he was
cautiously optimistic that the FBI is on the right path to resolve technical problems with
Sentinel, adding that if problems persist he will take “whatever steps are necessary”
against the program’s prime contractor, Lockheed Martin Corp.
Source: http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100415_7737.php
[Return to top]
Information Technology Sector
55. April 19, The Register – (International) Trojan virus poses as Google Chrome
extension. Miscreants have created a Trojan virus that poses as a Google Chrome
extension, according to The Register. Spammed messages attempt to dupe prospective
marks into trying an add-on that “helps you better organise your documents received in
your email.” Interested parties are pointed towards a counterfeit Google Chrome
Extensions page, which offers a malware executable. More observant punters will
notice that the download is offered in an .exe file and not a .crx Google Chrome
extension, The Register indicated. Such markers are easily missed, however. The
Trojan horse malware on offer (identified by Romanian security firm BitDefender as
the Agent-20577) blocks access to Google and Yahoo webpages. Attempts to reach
these sites on infected machines are hijacked and redirected to counterfeit sites. Such
trickery is commonly a prelude to either phishing attacks or a technique by the hackers
behind the trick to gain affiliate income from scareware slingers or other undesirables.
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/19/google_chrome_trojan/
56. April 19, DarkReading – (International) OWASP issues top 10 web application
security risks list. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Monday
issued the final version of its new Top 10 list of application security risks. The list,
which was first unveiled in November at the OWASP conference, is a departure from
OWASP’s previous lists, which ranked the most commonly found weaknesses and
vulnerabilities in Web applications. OWASP’s new list features the most exploitable
and likely security risks found in these apps. OWASP reworked the list to provide
developers with more of a reality check and understanding of the real threats, OWASP
members said. “This is putting it into perspective ... looking at the things that are most
likely to be exploited and how useful [this flaw or weakness] would be for an attacker
to get access to an application or sensitive information,” said a member of OWASP
who worked on the list and who is a security researcher with Rapid7.
Source: http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability_management/security/appsecurity/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224400676
57. April 17, V3.co.uk – (International) Mac OS X malware turns into botnet. Security
researchers have warned that a rash of malware for Mac OS X systems is now being
used to run a botnet. The Trojan malware was first spotted in January, and had been
bundled into pirated copies of Mac OS software. Researchers noted at the time that the
payload included tools which could allow an attacker to remotely take control of an
infected system. It now appears as if those components are being put to use. Symantec
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researchers said that systems infected by the Trojan have been used in at least one
denial-of-service attack. Other users are also reporting that their systems are displaying
activity caused by the malware. News of the botnet marks what experts have warned is
a small but growing crop of malware targeting OS X systems.
Source: http://www.v3.co.uk/vnunet/news/2240521/mac-malware-turns-botnet
58. April 16, Government Computer News – (National) Lessons from Google attacks
could help US bolster cyber defense. The U.S. government is responding aggressively
to a new generation of advanced cyber threats, such as those used in the recently
discovered Aurora attacks, the McAfee chief executive officer said at a public-sector
conference, April 15. To improve defenses, security measures must be moved into the
cloud, he said. “The effort has been stepped up,” he said, although the efforts are not
always visible. There is more public-private cooperation, particularly within the
defense and intelligence communities, and responses are now based more on real-time
information about the dynamic threat landscape. Speaking in Washington, the CEO
said real-time intelligence gathering and response is the key to countering advanced,
persistent threats of the kind used in the recently disclosed Aurora attacks against
Google and 150 other organizations. Ha called the Aurora attacks highly coordinated
and sophisticated, but sloppy in their execution. These advanced, persistent threats are
part of a rising tide of malicious activity, he said. “We see a lot more than we’ve ever
seen before, and it’s increasing.” McAfee received 34 million samples of malicious
code in 2009 and that total is likely to be surpassed this year, he said.
Source: http://gcn.com/articles/2010/04/16/dewalt-on-cybersecurity-041510.aspx
Internet Alert Dashboard
To report cyber infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact US-CERT at sos@us-cert.gov or
visit their Web site: http://www.us-cert.gov
Information on IT information sharing and analysis can be found at the IT ISAC (Information Sharing and
Analysis Center) Web site: https://www.it-isac.org
[Return to top]
Communications Sector
59. April 19, WLFI 18 Lafayette – (Indiana) Benton County radio station off the air. An
Indiana radio station went off the air after some heavy farm equipment knocked over its
tower. 98 Gold’s program director said the machinery hit the tower around 8 April 17
in Benton County. The tower then fell onto the transmitter building. The program
director said the station will be off the air for at least a few days, while engineers work
to remedy the situation. He said the station will still be streaming online at
981WIBN.com, with regular programming.
Source: http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/benton-county-radio-station-wibn-981temporarily-off-the-air
For another story, see item 51
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[Return to top]
Commercial Facilities Sector
60. April 19, Radio Australia – (International) Bomb attacks at Bangalore cricket match
raise concerns. A terrorist attack in India has again raised the question of the country’s
capacity to hold a secure Commonwealth Games. Last weekend, a double, bomb blast
outside an International premier league cricket game in Bangalore injured 14 people.
Two more bombs were defused outside the stadiums. Indian premier league organizers
said security would be tight for the remainder of the tournament. But they have moved
the finals, due to begin on Wednesday, from Bangalore to Mumbai. The Australian
Commonwealth Games Association said that despite the latest attack, it has faith that
the games will be safe.
Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/asiapac/stories/201004/s2877056.htm
61. April 19, Long Beach Press-Telegram – (California) Man arrested after bomb scare
forces Long Beach apartment evacuation. A man was arrested at a Long Beach,
California building where what appeared to be a homemade bomb was found,
authorities said Monday. The incident began about 7 p.m. Sunday, when officers went
to the 300 block of Wisconsin Avenue on a domestic disturbance call, said a Long
Beach Police Department spokeswoman. During the investigation, officers saw what
appeared to be an explosive device, and they summoned a sheriff’s bomb squad and
evacuated some residents to Burbank Elementary School, the police spokeswoman
said. Early Monday, the item was “rendered safe” by the bomb squad, and the
evacuation ended, she said. A man was arrested at the scene, but his name was
unavailable pending booking.
Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14828738
62. April 18, Reuters – (International) India monitoring security after U.S. terror
alert. Indian officials said on Saturday that they were further tightening security before
the October Commonwealth Games after the United States issued a warning to its
citizens about possible militant attacks on hotels and markets in India. New Delhi
remains jittery about the threat of militant attacks. A blast in the western city of Pune
killed 17 people in February, the first major, militant strike since the 2008 Mumbai
attacks. “The U.S. government continues to receive information that terrorist groups
may be planning attacks in India,” the U.S. Department of State said in the latest travel
advice to its citizens. Islamists militant groups from Pakistan have threatened to carry
out attacks ahead of the October games and during the ongoing, domestic cricket
league involving foreign players from many countries, Indian security officials said.
“Terrorists and their sympathizers have demonstrated their willingness and capability
to attack targets where U.S. citizens or Westerners are known to congregate or visit,”
the travel advisory said. A senior Indian home (interior) ministry official said the
government was monitoring the security situation following the latest U.S. alert. “We
have seen the advice. There are threats which we are aware of in any case, but I am
sure the U.S. government has got some independent information,” the official, who did
- 25 -
not wish to be identified told Reuters. Last month, India said it was tightening security
on its luxury trains frequented by foreign tourists following warnings about a possible
militant strike. Security in and around nuclear installations and oil facilities are also
being increased, two days after police recovered and defused a powerful bomb on a
train traveling to India’s capital, stirring fears about an attack. “Security is being
tightened everywhere. We are very, very alert,” said the head of India’s Anti-Terrorist
Squad. Britain also continued to urge its citizens to be careful during their stay in India,
stating that foreigners are targets by militants in a travel advisory.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63G0MN20100417
63. April 16, Leesburg Today – (Virginia) Bomb scare at Sugarland shopping
center. Emergency crews spent much of the day Friday dealing with a suspicious
package in the parking lot of the Sugarland Run Crossing shopping center in Sterling,
Virginia. The package was deemed harmless by the county bomb squad. Loudoun
County deputies were called to the scene around 2:45 p.m. A portion of the shopping
center was closed as a precaution while authorities addressed the situation. The incident
cleared around 7 p.m.
Source:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy#stream/user/14538411749081893
480/label/Commercial
64. April 15, WBZ 38 Boston – (Massachusetts; North Carolina; Rhode Island) Man
arrested for threatening churches, NAACP. A Medford, Massachusetts resident has
been arrested for mailing threatening letters to churches and the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People. The man was charged Thursday in federal
court with mailing communications containing a threat to injure a person and using the
mail to willfully make a threat to damage real property by means of fire. Authorities
allege in a court document that the 46-year-old suspect sent threatening letters in
September 2009 to churches and NAACP chapters in Massachusetts, Charlotte, North
Carolina and Providence, Rhode Island. Using a pseudonym, the man complained
about the election of the President and threatened to burn down churches and NAACP
offices, authorities said. The suspect faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000
fine, if convicted. It was unclear if he had hired an attorney.
Source: http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsma/Mass.man.arrested.2.1636331.html
[Return to top]
National Monuments and Icons Sector
65. April 19, Asheville Citizen-Times – (North Carolina) Fire partially contained on
Unaka Mountain. Weather conditions during the weekend helped crews battle a blaze
that so far has scorched 200 acres of land on Unaka Mountain in North Carolina. The
blaze, known as the Bowling Green Fire, was about 30 percent contained as of
Saturday, the latest figure available, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
said Sunday. Cool temperatures during the weekend and rain on Saturday helped stem
the spread of the flames, he said. “If the weather stays the way the forecast has it, we
- 26 -
may be able to go in and work closer to this fire than originally expected,” the USFS
spokesman said. A downed power line sparked the blaze Friday afternoon near the
North Carolina-Tennessee border. The fire closed a stretch of North Carolina Highway
197, but is expected to reopen by this morning, the USFS spokesman said.
Source: http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100419/NEWS01/304190017
66. April 19, Radio 1380 KOTA – (South Dakota) Prescribed burn will take place in
Black Hills Forest. In a news release, Black Hills National Forest officials plan to
conduct a prescribed burn, Monday, 4 miles southeast of Nemo, South Dakota near the
Steamboat Rock Picnic Ground. Objectives of the burn are to reduce hazardous fuels
near the wildland urban interface in an effort to create and maintain a forested
landscape that inhibits the spread of unwanted fire to crowns of trees. The burn will
also provide additional forage for wintering wildlife species. Targeted acres for the
burn are 200 to 350 acres depending on appropriate weather and fuel parameters.
Smoke will be visible from the I-90 corridor and Rapid City. Resources will be on-site
through the night on days when ignition occurs.
Source: http://www.kotaradio.com/news.asp?eid=5002&ID=6143
67. April 16, National Park Service – (Montana) Roads in Glacier National Park closed
due to snow. Officials at Glacier National Park in Montana report that the east side of
the park received nearly a foot of new snow this week, sending the plows back to areas
already cleared once. It’s a reminder that the progress of the plowing, and subsequent
road openings, is completely weather dependent and can change day to day. Most park
roads are closed to motorized vehicles due to snow and ice. A few roads are open and
they include Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road), which is currently open for vehicles
10 miles to Lake McDonald Lodge on the park’s west side and six miles to Rising Sun
on the east side. The road into Two Medicine Valley is currently open to vehicle traffic
to Running Eagle Falls. Kintla Road is open from Polebridge to Big Prairie. Many
Glacier Road will be open to vehicle traffic Saturday, April 17. Plowing is complete on
the west side of Sun Road from Lake McDonald Lodge to about one mile past The
Loop, but parts of the road are covered with ice. Parking remains at the Lodge until the
ice melts out. There are usually no restrictions on hikers and bicyclists in effect over
the weekend, but that is always subject to change. Starting Monday, April 19, spring
construction starts on the west side of the Sun Road, with crews working between
Logan Creek Pit and the West Tunnel. Construction, plowing and weather will
determine where vehicle and hiker/biker access will be allowed. The Camas Road has
been plowed, but a few miles of the road surface are covered with ice. The road
remains closed to motor vehicles at this time.
Source: http://www.nps.gov/glac/parknews/news10-20.htm
[Return to top]
Dams Sector
68. April 19, Democratic Voice of Burma – (International) Kachin dam bombing kills
four. At least three bombs exploded Saturday close to the site of a controversial dam in
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northern Burma, killing three and wounding more than 20. The attack came two days
after nine people died following a series of bomb explosions in Rangoon. State media
blamed the Rangoon bombs on opposition groups along the Thailand-Burma border.
The latest explosions occurred in Kachin state in the compounds of the Asia World Co.
Ltd, which is building the Myitsone dam. The compound is 18 miles north of the
Kachin state capital, Myitkyina. The victims all worked for Asia World, which is close
to the Burmese government. A source in Kachin state said that more unexploded bombs
were found, and added that General Soe Win, Northern Military Commander, came to
inspect the bomb site in the afternoon with heavy security. The source said it was still
unclear who planted the bombs, but that it could be Kachin civilians who dislike the
dam project. The dam is likely to displace up to 10,000 people. He added that the ruling
Burmese junta may have also planted the bomb to damage relations between the
opposition Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and the Chinese government. The
KIO was unavailable for comment. The dam is being funded in part by the Chinese
state-owned China Power Investment Corporation and China Southern Power Grid
Corporation (CSG). Both the U.S. and Singaporean governments have condemned the
Rangoon bombings, the worst in the former capital in five years.
Source: http://www.dvb.no/news/kachin-dam-bombing-kills-four/8640
69. April 15, Bergen Record – (New Jersey) Did dam gates cause flooding
downstream. In New Jersey, a small army of engineers as well as the region’s highest
lawmakers are sifting through water-flow data to solve a three-year-old mystery: Are
the Pompton Lake Dam’s floodgates causing floods like the one that rousted 200
families from their homes last month? Distraught residents who live along the Pompton
River below the dam are pretty certain about it: When the floodgates open widest to
release rising waters behind the dam, they get belted by the ensuing surge. During
back-to-back storms last month, the situation drew a crowd of state and federal
environmental and engineering staff to the dam, followed by a huddle with top
officials, including members of Congress. An inconclusive meeting with residents
followed, with investigators stating they had to review information collected during
flood periods. No firm conclusions have been reached yet. “We’re looking into the
operation of the gates right now, and studying data to see if we can improve or smooth
the gate operation,” said the project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
which designed and installed the gates in 2007. “The state Department of
Environmental Protection, which operates the gates, said they acted exactly as
designed. But emergency-management officials in the towns said the gates did not act
as indicated.”
Source:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/90916789_Did_dam_gates_cause_flooding_downstr
eam_.html?page=all
[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 Web site:
http://www.dhs.gov/iaipdailyreport
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Send mail to NICCReports@dhs.gov or contact the DHS Daily
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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.
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The DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report is a non-commercial publication intended to educate and inform
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material.
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