Homeland
Security
Daily Open Source Infrastructure
Report for 2 August 2011
Top Stories
•
An outbreak already infecting 77 people in 26 states with Salmonella Heidelberg prompted
an unusual national health alert from a federal agency about safe handling of ground
turkey, Food Safety News reports. (See item 31)
•
Four people were shot, and one was killed by a male gunman after a fight at an outdoor
festival at Luke Easter Park in Cleveland, Ohio, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
(See item 45)
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: LOW, Cyber: LOW
Scale: LOW, GUARDED, ELEVATED, HIGH, SEVERE [Source: ISAC for the Electricity Sector (ES-ISAC) [http://www.esisac.com]
1. August 1, Associated Press – (Tennessee) Sheriff's office: 60K gallons of fuel
burning at Coffee County biodiesel plant. Sheriff's office officials said about 60,000
gallons of fuel were burning at the Tennessee Bio Energy Plant in Coffee County. The
fire started July 30 around 12:30 p.m. in the community of Summitville, about 72 miles
southeast of Nashville. Firefighters from several towns responded, including the
Manchester Fire Department, and the Summitville Volunteer Department, which is
-1-
located across the street from the plant. WTVF 5 Nashville reported neighbors were
evacuated from about two blocks surrounding the facility. There were no reports of
injuries. According to Tennessee Bio Energy's Web site, the plant produces B99 and
B100 biodiesel. It also produces refined glycerin.
Source:
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/bc55ce88b6864e9c8db9ce74fddaaaa4/TN-Biodiesel-Plant-Fire/
2. July 31, Associated Press – (West Virginia) Train jumps tracks at coal mine in
Triadelphia; 6 miners injured. Six coal miners were injured in a July 30 train
derailment in West Virginia. The Wheeling-Ohio County Emergency Management
Agency director said the accident occurred at the Tunnel Ridge Mine in Triadelphia.
The miners were transported by ambulance to Ohio Valley Medical Center in
Wheeling. A nursing supervisor indicated one miner had a broken leg, but that all were
expected to be OK. It is unclear why the train jumped the tracks. Some underground
coal mining has been going on at Tunnel Ridge since last March. The mine is owned by
Alliance Resource Partners of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Source:
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/5fcfdd2e7d6a424daeeafe6b692b5eba/WV-Coal-Train-Accident/
3. July 31, Associated Press – (Iowa) 22 rail cars full of coal derail in western
Iowa. Railroads crews were cleaning up July 31 after 22 cars of a coal train derailed in
Denison, Iowa. A spokesman for Omaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific, said the 136car train was headed from Wyoming to Illinois when a section derailed about 6:40 a.m.
No injuries were reported. The spokesman said crews would work into August 1 to
clear debris and repair about 800 feet of damaged track that stretches over two rail
lines. One of the lines was expected to reopen early August 1. The cause of the
derailment was under investigation.
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-iacoaltrainderails,0,4078410.story
4. July 30, WTAQ 97.5 FM Green Bay – (Wisconsin) More than 34,000 without power
as storms move through. More than 5,600 Green Bay, Wisconsin, area customers lost
power as a severe thunderstorms moved through the area July 29. The storms packed
winds as high as 60 miles-per-hour, downing large trees in the area according to the
National Weather Service in Green Bay. At one time, Wisconsin Public Service (WPS)
said more than 34,000 customers lost power when the storms began moving through
western Wisconsin to the east. The vast majority of the outages were located around the
Rhinelander area. WPS said most of the outages were from large tress branches falling
onto power lines. While most of the power was expected to be restored by July 31,
officials said some customers may not have power returned until August 1, due to all
the poles that were knocked down.
Source: http://wtaq.com/news/articles/2011/jul/30/wps-more-than-29000-withoutpower-as-storms-move-through/
-2-
5. July 29, Associated Press – (Pennsylvania) Tanker carrying 9K gallons of fuel
crashes in Pa. A section of Interstate 78 was closed July 29 after a tanker truck
carrying 9,000 gallons of used motor oil overturned in eastern Pennsylvania. Crews
were cleaning up an unknown amount of oil since the crash, which happened in Upper
Macungie Township around 5:30 a.m. The Morning Call of Allentown reported that
passing vehicles ended up spreading oil eastward on the interstate for at least half a
mile. State police said the eastbound lanes were expected to remain closed until around
midnight. The driver of the truck was being treated at a hospital, but the severity of his
injuries was not known.
Source: http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Tanker-carrying-9K-gallons-of-fuelcrashes-in-Pa-1642921.php
6. August 1, KHBS 40 Fort Smith/KHOG 29 Fayetteville – (Arkansas) Gas well drilling
rig crash reported on highway 64. A gas well drilling rig crashed on Highway 64 in
the westbound lane at noon July 29 in Arkansas. Highway 64 was closed July 30 while
a crane pulled the rig out of a ditch. The rig, owned by Redlands Energy Co., weighs
40,000 pounds. Two of its tires blew out, and and it rolled into the ditch. State police
said weight and heat were factors in the wreck. No one was injured.
Source: http://www.4029tv.com/r/28715875/detail.html
[Return to top]
Chemical Industry Sector
7. July 31, phillyBurbs.com – (New Jersey) Delran chemical fire forces evacuation of
businesses and homes. A chemical reaction is believed to have started a fire July 29
outside a chemical manufacturing business on Underwood Boulevard in Delran, New
Jersey, police said. The fire was reported at 3:34 p.m. in the rear of Rowa Group
USA, where an unknown chemical reacted and sparked a fire inside a trash bin. The
trash bin was moved away from the building, but workers and residents were evacuated
as a precaution from several commercial businesses and three homes in the area of
Underwood Boulevard, Route 130, and Chester Avenue. Chester Avenue was closed to
vehicles and pedestrians between Route 130 and Greenwood Avenue until
6:20 p.m. Residents were permitted to return to their homes at that time. No injuries
were reported. The fire was extinguished by township crews. The Burlington County
Health Department and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection also
responded. The fire remains under investigation.
Source:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/chemical-fireforces-evacuation-of-businesses-and-homes/article_e9bcef9a-6223-59ab-929440f03a922bcd.html
8. July 30, Florida Today – (Florida) Chemical mess left at Kennedy Space
Center. NASA spent decades on sending men to the moon, launching the space
shuttles and building a laboratory in space, and now it will take a century to clean up
the chemical messes left behind. Plumes of carcinogenic chemicals used in the
launching of the space shuttles, Apollo moon shots, and other rockets seeped deep into
-3-
sandy soils beneath launch pads and other structures at Kennedy Space Center and
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Merritt Island, Florida. They form viscous toxic
goo that will take $1 billion in cleanup costs agencywide over many decades, and could
bog down funding for next-generation spacecraft. NASA estimates it will spend $96
million in the next 30 years at Kennedy Space Center, including $6 million this year.
The U.S. Air Force said it will take another $50 million to get the rest of its cleanups at
Cape Canaveral under way by 2017. “In the past, back in Apollo, the normal disposal
of the solvent cleaning was down the drain ... out the back door,” said Kennedy’s
remediation program manager, the person responsible for leading the cleanup. A
Florida Today analysis of hundreds of pages of cleanup records and extensive
databases of toxic spills obtained under the Freedom of Information Act found 2 square
miles of contaminated soil and groundwater, including 600 acres of chemical plumes at
Kennedy or nearby sites under former NASA control, and 1,030 acres at Canaveral.
The research found the most common contaminant is a chlorinated solvent known as
trichloroethylene, or ”trike,” and its breakdown products — substances known to cause
birth defects and cancer and reaching concentrations thousands of times higher than
federal drinking water standards allow. No one drinks water drawn at the space center,
nor the air station, but federal law still mandates the cleanup, at taxpayer expense.
Other potential harm to humans and wildlife is uncertain.
Source: http://www.news-press.com/article/20110731/NEWS01/110730021/Chemicalmess-left-Kennedy-Space-Center
9. July 30, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal – (Texas) Residents safe after acid spill. Two
railroad employees were recovering after inhaling vapors from hydrochloric acid
during a July 29 hazardous material spill at the Slaton, Texas rail yard that kept crews
busy for more than 2 hours. The two Burlington Northern Sante Fe maintenance
workers were taken to a Lubbock hospital, a company spokesman said. Officials said
Slaton residents were not in danger after hydrochloric acid started leaking out of a
tanker rail car at 9 a.m. near Railroad Avenue. The substance drizzled from what
appeared to be a crack or gash on the side of the tanker filled with 124 tons of
hydrochloric acid. The main danger is inhalation, but Slaton's city administrator said no
residents were close enough to be at risk. Officials notified residents south of the
railroad tracks of the leak, but did not evacuate any homes. The risk zone was about
150 feet around the spill. More than 20 firefighters from Slaton, Lubbock, and West
Carlise were on the scene for about 2 hours, while Slaton police shut down Railroad
Avenue inside the rail yard. Lubbock hazmat members, wearing suits and masks, sealed
the leak with a patch at about 11 a.m. Crews planned to spread lime or potash on the
ground around the spill. The railroad spokesman said the firm was investigating the
leak, noting that such leaks are uncommon.
Source: http://lubbockonline.com/crime-and-courts/2011-07-30/residents-safe-afteracid-spill#.Tja0_2GOvgY
10. July 29, Washington Times – (Michigan) Dow to pay $2.5 million for leaks at
Michigan plant. The Dow Chemical Company will pay $2.5 million to settle
violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at its chemical manufacturing and research
complex in Midland, Michigan, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) said July 29. Dow
-4-
will also implement a comprehensive program to reduce emissions of volatile organic
compounds and hazardous air pollutants from leaking equipment, such as valves and
pumps, in what are known as “fugitive” emissions because they are not discharged
from a stack but rather leak directly from equipment. The settlement also requires Dow
to implement enhanced work practices, including more frequent leak monitoring, better
repair practices, and innovative new work practices designed to prevent leaks, and to
replace valves with new ”low emissions” ones or valve-packing material, designed to
significantly reduce the likelihood of future leaks. A 24-page complaint cited Dow for
violating CAA requirements for monitoring and repairing leaking equipment, and for
failing to comply with reporting and recordkeeping requirements. The complaint also
said Dow violated the CWA’s prohibition against discharging pollutants without a
permit ,and the RCRA’s requirements for hazardous waste generators. The consent
decree is subject to a 30 day comment period, and final approval by the court.
Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/29/dow-pay-25-million-leaksmichigan-plant/
11. July 29, Longview Daily News – (Washington) Weyerhaeuser mill experiences
chemical leak. Hundreds of gallons of a solution containing chlorine dioxide leaked on
the ground from a storage tank at the Weyerhaeuser Co. pulp mill in Longview,
Washington, July 29, company officials said. About 8 a.m., a Weyerhaeuser employee
saw the chemical leak coming from a tank containing about 109,000 gallons of chlorine
dioxide and water, a company spokesman said. Around the same time, he said the mill's
monitoring alarm sounded after detecting the acrid chlorine gas. The mill uses the
chlorine dioxide solution to bleach paper to make products such as milk cartons. The
solution contains roughly 1 percent chlorine dioxide, the spokesman said. A Cowlitz 2
Fire and Rescue hazardous materials team finished the cleanup about 2:30 p.m., he
said, adding mill workers patched the leak and collected and used the liquid left in the
tank. The hazmat team also applied a fogging mist to the airborne chlorine, which
helped dissipate the chemical and kept it on the mill site. "We're still assessing the
situation, but there doesn't appear to be an effect on the surrounding community," the
spokesman said. He said company officials notified federal, state, and county agencies
about the spill.
Source: http://tdn.com/news/local/article_2ca85812-ba42-11e0-89f0001cc4c03286.html
12. July 28, Redlands Fire Department – (California) Firefighters respond to burning
sulfur at county landfill. Firefighters in Redlands, California responded after a 1,400pound load of sulfur dumped at the San Bernardino County landfill caught fire July 28.
Firefighters received the call of a refuse fire at the landfill, off San Timoteo Canyon
Road, at about 12:30 p.m. When they arrived and discovered the source of the fire,
additional resources were called in. Two engines, a water tender, and a medic engine
responded. Two landfill employees were treated for smoke inhalation. The sulfur, once
a common agricultural product, was inadvertently dumped following clean-up at a
farmhouse. The chemical can become highly flammable when dust particles meet air.
The combustion occurred when equipment at the landfill moved the pile of sulfur. The
Redlands Fire Department contacted county water and regulatory agencies and
determined that the chemical would be safe on site once it is covered. Fire personnel
-5-
remained on site to extinguish the fire, water down the sulfur, and ensure the chemical
was covered.
Source: http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/news/ci_18573105
For more stories, see items 1 and 34
[Return to top]
Nuclear Reactors, Materials and Waste Sector
13. August 1, Daily Yomiuri – (International) Radioactive waste worries local
governments/Officials seek guidance from central authorities on how to
permanently dispose of sludge, ash. Many local governments in Japan are troubled
over how to handle waste containing radioactive cesium, including sludge discharged
from water and sewage treatment plants, and ash. According to surveys by the health,
labor and welfare Ministry and The Yomiuri Shimbun, more than 120,000 tons of such
radioactive waste is being stored in Tokyo and 13 prefectures in the Tohoku and Kanto
regions. Sludge is discharged when river water and sewage is purified at treatment
plants — water treatment plants discharge sludge containing mostly earth and sand,
while sludge from sewage treatment plants contains domestic wastewater and
excrement. The government presented a preliminary guideline for handling such
radioactive waste in June. It asked local governments to take measures to block
radiation rays if radioactivity exceeds 100,000 becquerels, but it does not give
directions as to final disposal methods. The guideline stipulates that if the radioactivity
is less than 100,000 becquerels, waste can be temporarily stored at so-called controlled
landfill sites, at which hazardous substances will not leak into soil. But little progress
has been made in securing such disposal sites to accommodate radioactive waste. For
example, the Gunma prefectural government, which lacks a disposal site sufficiently far
from residential areas, has consulted with 23 municipalities from which sludge and ash
are brought to the plant. It is considering returning radioactive waste to sewage
treatment sites or private-sector garbage disposal sites in the municipalities for storage.
Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110731002780.htm
14. July 29, Newark Star-Ledger – (New Jersey) Oyster Creek nuclear plant pump shuts
down, resulting in fish kill. Pumps that cool water as it leaves the Oyster Creek
nuclear power plant in Lacey Township, New Jersey, shut down July 28, causing a rise
in water temperature and a fish kill in a canal, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) said July 29. Electricity stopped due to a problem with the Jersey Central Power
& Light grid, and the pumps shut down at 8:05 p.m., a spokesman for the NRC said.
"Oyster Creek reduced reactor power to control discharge water temperatures, but a fish
kill was subsequently identified in the canal," said a company spokesman. Exelon said
in a statement that 300 fish were lost due to the temperature rise. Power to the pumps
was restored early July 29.
Source:
http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2011/07/fish_kill_off_oyster_creek_nuc.html
For another story, see item 52
-6-
[Return to top]
Critical Manufacturing Sector
Nothing to report
[Return to top]
Defense Industrial Base Sector
15. July 29, Defense News – (National) U.S. Army moves forward on JLTV. The U.S.
Army insists it plans to go forward with its open competition for Joint Light Tactical
Vehicle following completion of its 2-year technology development phase even as
many defense analysts have the program pegged for cancellation. The director of
Sustainment Systems said in a July 28 statement the program has taken steps forward,
refining the requirements during the technology development phase to "meet the
designated capability gaps." A program that could be worth up to $20 billion already
has a host of defense companies, including BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land
Systems, Lockheed Martin, AM General, and General Tactical Vehicles, all vying to
build the next-generation light vehicle.
Source: http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=7244124&c=AME&s=LAN
For another story, see item 41
[Return to top]
Banking and Finance Sector
16. July 31, KSAZ 10 and KUTP 45 Phoenix – (International) 'Poison Ivy fraud ring'
members arrested. Police made a big fraud bust they said July 29 went all the way
from Tempe, Arizona, to Bulgaria. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office said six
people from the "Poison Ivy" fraud ring were arrested and are facing multiple felony
charges including fraud, identity theft, computer tampering, and money laundering.
They are accused of using devices to skim information from customers’ bank cards at a
TruWest Credit Union ATM, and then using it to make fake ATM cards to withdraw as
much as $300,000. Police said they have video tapes of one suspect installing the
device, which was made in Eastern Europe. The devices, believed to be made in
Bulgaria, could detect financial data and PIN numbers from the cards of customers
using the ATMs. The information was then sent to computers belonging to those
involved in the fraud ring. Other defendants were seen on surveillance video making
numerous ATM withdrawals throughout the valley with fraudulent cards, police said. A
cut of the funds was sent to Bulgaria by the defendants through illegal wire transfers,
according to police. All of the defendants named in the 58-count indictment were in
custody July 29, each on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
-7-
Source: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/money/poison-ivy-fraud-ring-membersarrested-07312011
17. July 30, U.S. Department of Justice – (National) Florida man pleads guilty to $30
million investment fraud scheme. A Gainesville, Florida man pleaded guilty July 30
to mail fraud in connection with his operation of a $30 million investment fraud
scheme, the Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal
Division, and a U.S. attorney of the Middle District of Florida announced. The 47-yearold faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. According to court documents, the
defendant, who operated a company called Botfly LLC, willfully engineered and
executed a scheme to defraud by promising victim investors he could generate returns
of up to 10 percent per month, compounded monthly, through his trading in the foreign
currency (forex) market. In fact, the defendant operated an investment fraud scheme.
The defendant and others working at his direction raised about $29.8 million from
victim investors, but the defendant used only a small percentage for forex trading
(about $2.6 million), the vast majority of which he lost. He admitted that instead of
trading in the foreign currency market as he promised, he used the bulk of victim
investor funds to make payments to other investors to perpetuate the scheme and make
it appear as if he was generating the promised returns. He paid investors $14.3 million
in “returns” that he led them to believe were generated by his forex trading when, in
reality, he was merely paying them with other victim investors’ funds. He also spent
millions of investor funds on personal expenses, including high end real estate, private
jet travel, luxury automobiles, computer equipment, and jewelry.
Source:
http://7thspace.com/headlines/390560/usdoj_florida_man_pleads_guilty_to_30_million
_investment_fraud_scheme.html
18. July 29, Security News Daily – (National) Fake 'wrong transaction' hotel spam hits
e-mail. Hundreds of e-mails have been making the rounds in the past few days
informing people a hotel made a "wrong transaction" while processing their credit card.
In turn, the e-mails offer recipients a refund. The director of research in computer
forensics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) wrote he has spotted 434
slight variants of the scam, with subject titles such as "Hotel Renaissance Chicago
made wrong transaction", "Hotel Hilton Las Vegas made wrong transaction", and
"Wrong transaction from your credit card in Hilton Atlanta." To receive the refund
from the erroneously charged credit card, victims are told to fill out a form attached to
the e-mail. As with nearly all e-mail scams, the attached form is where the danger lies.
In this case, the malicious file is masked as an executable download called
RefundForm(dot)exe, but it's actually a Trojan that installs fake anti-virus software on
victims' computers that they are then pressured into paying for. The UAB researcher
said the hotel spam messages all appear to be originating from the same botnet of
computers that recently spread the "overdue credit card" scam.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43948767/ns/technology_and_science-security/
19. July 29, The Southampton Press – (New York) Guldi pleads guilty to 35 counts, will
receive concurrent sentence. A former Suffolk County, New York legislator pleaded
guilty to 35 felony counts July 29 during jury selection for his second criminal trial,
-8-
related to his role in a $82 million mortgage fraud scheme that targeted more than 60
homes. He pleaded guilty to 34 charges of grand larceny and one count of scheme to
defraud, according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office. In March, he was
found guilty of insurance fraud and grand larceny, charges related to the misuse of
insurance funds after his Westhampton Beach home burned down. The former
legislator's co-defendant in the trial also pleaded guilty July 29, admitting to helping
create millions in fraudulent mortgage deals to victimize Washington Mutual Bank, JP
Morgan Chase, and other lenders in transactions to buy commercial and residential
property in Sag Harbor, Cold Spring Harbor, Southampton, and Huntington. The codefendant pleaded guilty to all of the charges in the indictment including two counts of
grand larceny in the first degree, and one charge of grand larceny in the second degree.
Both the former legislator and his co-defendant were facing 4 counts of grand larceny
that were taken out of a 110-count mortgage fraud indictment filed against them in
2009. Two of those counts allege they stole more than $1 million in mortgage proceeds
in separate fraudulent transactions. As part of a second-degree grand larceny charge,
the former lawmaker was accused of stealing more than $1 million from Wachovia
Bank in an incident involving a mortgage for a house in Southampton in 2008.
Source: http://www.27east.com/news/article.cfm/Westhampton-Beach-SurroundingAreas/392959/Guldi-Pleads-Guilty-To-35-Counts-Will-Receive-Concurrent-Sentence
20. July 29, Mobile Press-Register – (International) Daphne-born terror suspect placed
on U.S. Treasury blacklist. The U.S. Treasury Department July 29 placed a Daphne,
Alabama native on a terrorist blacklist to freeze any assets connected with him in the
United States and lock him out of the U.S. financial system. The man attended Daphne
High and the University of South Alabama before joining the terrorist group alShabaab in Somalia. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a notice July
29 naming the man and another member of the Somali group to that office’s list of
“specially designated nationals.” The assets of those on the list are blocked and U.S.
citizens are prohibited from dealing with them financially. The Alabama native has
been linked to recruiting and fundraising activities for al-Shabaab in the United States,
Canada, and elsewhere, according to published reports. In the background material
published on the Treasury Department’s Web site, he is is described as ”one of alShabaab’s key figures.” The material further states that: “[He] serves as a military
tactician, recruitment strategist and financial manager for al-Shabaab. [He] has
commanded guerilla forces in combat, organized attacks and plotted strategy with alQa’ida. He was also involved in organizing a suicide bombing attack carried out by a
Somali-American from Minnesota who traveled to Somalia to join al-Shabaab. That
attack, and four others organized by [the man] and carried out in October 2008, killed
more than 20 people.”
Source: http://blog.al.com/live/2011/07/daphne-born_terrorist_placed_o.html
21. July 28, Bloomberg – (National) Ex-Pegasus Wireless chief Jasper Knabb pleads
guilty to securities fraud. The Ex-CEO of Pegasus Wireless Corp. pleaded guilty July
28 to securities fraud and other charges in connection with a $25 million scheme to sell
shares for bogus debt and funnel the proceeds to himself, family and friends. The 44year-old created 31 fake promissory notes and other documents representing that
Pegasus had outstanding debt, a U.S. attorney in San Francisco said July 28. From 2005
-9-
to 2008, the ex-CEO caused 490 million shares to be issued to satisfy the bogus debt,
prosecutors said. By selling some of the fraudulent shares, he netted $25 million for
himself and others, according to the statement. The ex-CEO, a resident of Wenatchee,
Washington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud,
and maintaining false books and records. The maximum penalty for the conspiracy and
securities fraud charges is 25 years in prison, and a fine of twice the loss or gain plus
restitution. The maximum penalty for the false books charge is 20 years in prison, and
twice the loss or gain plus restitution.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-29/ex-pegasus-wireless-chiefjasper-knabb-pleads-guilty-to-securities-fraud.html
22. July 27, Reuters – (International) Fannie/Freddie regulator sues UBS on $900
million loss. The regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sued UBS AG July 27 to
recover more than $900 million of losses after the Swiss bank misled the housing
agencies into buying $4.5 billion of risky mortgage debt. In announcing the lawsuit, the
U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) said it also plans more lawsuits to
recover additional losses by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from investments in privatelabel debt. Last July, the FHFA issued 64 subpoenas to banks, seeking details about
subprime and other mortgage debt Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bought when the
housing market was healthy. The UBS case is part of a push by Washington D.C. to
hold banks responsible for the nation's housing problems. It is also the latest effort to
prop up the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), whose September 2008 federal
seizure has so far cost taxpayers more than $135 billion. According to the UBS
complaint, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lost more than 20 percent of their investment
in more than $4.5 billion of residential mortgage-backed securities the bank sold in 16
securitizations from September 2005 to August 2007. Filed in the U.S. District Court in
Manhattan, New York, the complaint also said UBS failed to do adequate due
diligence, and hid or misstated the quality of the underlying loans and underwriting, as
well as borrowers' ability to make payments. Many of the loans were issued by lenders
that later failed or went bankrupt, including American Home Mortgage Investment
Corp, IndyMac Bancorp Inc., and New Century Financial Corp. According to the
complaint, a review of 966 randomly chosen loans from two "triple-A" rated
securitizations in 2006 and 2007 found 78 percent were not underwritten properly. By
May 2011, the complaint said, these securitizations were rated "CCC" by Standard &
Poor's and "Ca" by Moody's Investors Service, among the lowest junk grades. The
lawsuit seeks to recoup Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's losses and undo the purchases.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/27/us-ubs-gse-lawsuitidUSTRE76Q56620110727
[Return to top]
Transportation Sector
23. August 1, WPIX 11 New York City – (New Jersey; New York) Bus driver's dead body
went undiscovered at Port Authority for 5 hours. People are wondering how it could
take 5 hours for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and New Jersey
Transit (NJ Transit) to locate a bus that was missing in action July 28. When they did,
- 10 -
they found the bus driver slumped over the wheel, dead. Cops said it was around 10:30
a.m. July 28 when the 26-year bus driver dropped off his last passengers at the Port
Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. He was supposed to drop the bus off in
New Jersey. Fast forward 5 hours, NJ Transit officials started to get worried and started
making calls. At the same time, the Port Authority called NJ Transit to say they spotted
an idling bus that was not where it was supposed to be. A supervisor went and found
the driver dead at about 3 p.m. The question is now, why did it take 5 hours for the Port
Authority and NJ Transit to notice something was wrong. A NJ Transit spokesperson
said they are going to look into the incident. A Port Authority spokesperson said this
incident may be exposing cracks in the communication between the two agencies. Cops
said the driver's death is not considered suspicious, though they have not figured out
why he died just yet.
Source: http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-dead-bus-driver,0,4231276.story
24. July 31, Associated Press – (Florida) Man arrested at Florida airport for knife in
carry-on. Authorities arrested a passenger July 31 they said had a knife in his carry-on
bag at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida. The man was charged with
carrying a concealed weapon. An airport spokeswoman said Transportation Security
Administration workers initially detained the wrong passenger and bag. Authorities
then reviewed a video showing the previous passenger to pass through the security
checkpoint was the one with the knife. That passenger had already boarded his
American Airlines flight to Miami en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico, but was detained
before the flight took off.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43961777/ns/travel-news/
25. July 30, Associated Press – (International) Guyana plane crash: Caribbean Airlines
flight breaks in two, no deaths reported. Flight 523 from New York had just touched
down and passengers were applauding the pilot's landing in Guyana July 30 when
something suddenly went wrong. The Boeing 737-800 slid off the end of a rainy
runway, crashed through a chain-link fence and broke in half just short of a deep
ravine. Yet all 163 people on board survived. Officials were starting to probe the cause
of the crash even as they marveled at the lack of fatalities. "We must be the luckiest
country and luckiest set of people in the world to escape so lightly," said Guyana's
health minister, who said more than 30 people were taken to the hospital. Only three of
those had to be admitted for a broken leg, bumps, cuts, and bruises. The Caribbean
Airlines plane had left John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York,
July 29 and made a stop in Trinidad before landing in Guyana. The airline said it was
carrying 157 passengers and 6 crew members. Authorities temporarily closed the
Guyana airport, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded, and delaying dozens of
flights. The main terminal reopened July 30 to only a couple of small planes. The crash
of Flight 523 is the worst in recent history in Guyana.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/30/guyana-plane-crash-airliner-brokein-two_n_913932.html
26. July 30, Associated Press – (Pennsylvania) Pa. bridges plagued with
problems. Thousands of bridges are rusting, creaking and wearing out in Pennsylvania,
but the flow of money to repair them is dwindling, the Pennsylvania Department of
- 11 -
Transportation (PennDOT) said July 30. "We're getting more and more bridges that are
deteriorating," said PennDOT's deputy secretary for highway administration. The price
tag for all the needed repairs: about $8.7 billion, PennDOT said. The future budget for
repairs, with no new funding? About $600 million a year. That means that at projected
funding and maintenance levels, the number of structurally deficient bridges in the state
will rise, the deputy secretary told the Associated Press. If that happens, drivers may
see the bridge problem as more than just a statistic. A national study released earlier
this year by the Transportation for America coalition found that 26.5 percent of
Pennsylvania's bridges are structurally deficient — the highest rate in the country, and
more than double the national average of 11.5 percent. That translates into 5,906
bridges that need fixing, out of about 25,000 total. PennDOT has closed 42 bridges, and
669 more are posted with warnings. Some carry only light traffic, but others carry
thousands of vehicles each day.
Source: http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/pa.-bridges-plagued-withproblems-073111
27. July 29, WTNH 8 New Haven – (Connecticut) Engine fire on Amtrak train in East
Haven. An engine fire brought an Amtrak passenger train to a halt in East Haven,
Connecticut, July 29. The Amtrak passenger train came to stop behind the Home Depot
on Frontage Road around 11 a.m. The fire extinguished itself once the power was
down. "They weren't in any danger at any time," the East Haven fire chief said. "The
engines were out in the front and no smoke ever got into any of the cars, and Amtrak
had a lot of people on the scene very quickly." About 350 passengers were on board.
They were given water by the conductor until a rescue engine could arrive and tow
them back to New Haven. Amtrak broke with protocol by opening up the doors so
people on board could have some ventilation.
Source: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/traffic/trains/fire-train-east-haven
For more stories, see items 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 52, and 53
[Return to top]
Postal and Shipping Sector
28. August 1, New York Post – (New York) Postal jewel heists. After more than 25
packages went missing within 6 months, investigators from the Post Office Inspector
General's office and Manhattan District Attorney's (DA) in New York City placed a
tracking device inside a package bound for the district that was designed to send out an
alert when the parcel was opened. The sting worked. On July 22, the suspect, 29, of
Brooklyn, was sitting inside his car at the post office's West 43rd Street garage when he
opened the parcel and set off the tracking device's silent alarm, according to a criminal
complaint. Investigators pounced on the alleged pilfering postman just as he tried to
reseal the package. "I opened the package today because I thought there was jewelry
inside of it," he admitted to investigators, according to the complaint. The suspect was
released on $7,500 bail. The U.S. Postal Service said mail theft is a "rare occurrence"
among the city's 8,323 mail carriers.
Source:
- 12 -
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/postal_jewel_heists_FvvaslMped4TS
G4QCIH4bK
For another story, see item 48
[Return to top]
Agriculture and Food Sector
29. August 2, Food Safety News – (International) Severe penalties in China clenbuterol
pork scandal. A Chinese court doled out lengthy prison sentences the week of July 25,
including a suspended death penalty, to five people involved in a clenbuterol-tainted
pork scandal, the latest in a series of food safety scares in China. The five people
sentenced were found guilty of "endangering public security by using dangerous
means" for their role in feeding clenbuterol, an illegal beta-agonist feed additive, to
pigs headed for the food supply. Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co Ltd,
China's leading meat processor, was implicated as one of the primary companies
involved in the scandal, according to Xinhua, China's official news agency. Xinhua
reported the sentences ranged from 9 years to life because individuals "despite
possessing knowledge of the harm of clenbuterol, nevertheless became involved in the
production and sale of it." Clenbuterol can cause many human health side effects
including heart palpitations, muscle tremors, nervousness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting,
fever, chills, and, in rare cases, death. It is increasingly bought and sold under the table
for use in livestock feed to accelerate lean muscle growth. According to Chinese
government data, 18 outbreaks of food-related clenbuterol poisoning occurred between
1998 and 2007. The most recent report indicates one person died, and more than 1,700
others fell ill.
Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/07/china-dishes-severe-penalties-forclenbuterol-pork-scandal/
30. August 1, Portland Press Herald – (Maine) Firefighters battle blaze at OOB night
club. A large fire broke out at a bar and night club August 1 on East Grand Avenue in
Old Orchard Beach, Maine, near the waterfront, and residents could see smoke as far
away as Pine Point. Around 8:30 a.m., fire trucks rushed to the The Galaxy, a late-night
hotspot at 12 East Grand Avenue. Old Orchard firefighters ordered an evacuation of the
two-story building, a department spokeswoman said.
Source: http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-galaxy-old-orchard-beach-fire.html
31. July 30, Food Safety News – (National) National health alert issued for ground
turkey. An outbreak already infecting 77 people in 26 states with Salmonella
Heidelberg prompted an unusual public health alert late July 29 about the "critical
importance" of safe handling of ground turkey. The alert about all frozen and fresh
ground turkey was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). A public health alert not involving a
specific brand or product recall is a rare action for the USDA. With the public health
alert came the first notice that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), and state health departments have identified and are investigating the multistate
- 13 -
outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg. "The public health alert was initiated after
continuous medical reports, ongoing investigations and testing conducted by various
departments of health across the nation determined there is an association between
consumption of ground turkey products and an estimated 77 illnesses reported in 26
states," the USDA statement said. The CDC and state health departments made the link
through epidemiological investigation and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis, the
FSIS said. While the CDC and state health departments are investigating, the FSIS
noted it is working to determine the source of the contamination.
Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/07/national-health-alert-issued-forground-turkey/
32. July 30, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle – (New York) Feds test for arsenic at
Wayne County Mott's plant. Federal and New York state inspectors have collected
samples at the Mott's apple products plant in Williamson, New York, looking for the
presence of arsenic. The inspections were triggered by a report a week ago from the
Rochester-based Empire State Consumer Project that it had detected the toxic metal
arsenic in Mott's apple juice. There are no federal standards for arsenic in juice, but a
professional laboratory working for the consumer group measured arsenic at levels 5.5
times higher than the standard for drinking water. A spokesman for the state
department of agriculture and markets said July 30 that inspectors from his agency and
from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had visited the Mott's plant July
26. It was not immediately clear what action state or federal officials could take if they
found arsenic in the samples from Williamson, which makes apple juice, apple sauce,
and apple concentrate.
Source: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110730/NEWS01/107300317
33. July 28, KNBC 4 Los Angeles – (California) Tow truck crashes into fast food
restaurant. As many as seven people were injured, one critically, when a tow truck
smashed through a fast food restaurant in the Wilshire Center area of Los Angeles July
28. The incident occurred around 10:40 a.m. when a tow truck carrying a small pick-up
crashed through the front of a Yoshinoya restaurant, the Los Angeles County Fire
department said. One person was critically wounded, and as many as six others
sustained minor injuries. Four were transported to a local hospital. Between four and
several tables were damaged, and several support beams holding up a second floor
doctor's office were damaged. The facility was evacuated out of precaution, according
to the fire department. There was no immediate word on the cause of the accident.
Source: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Tow-Truck-Crashes-into-Fast-FoodRestaurant-126343538.html
For another story, see item 12
[Return to top]
Water Sector
34. July 31, KTVU 2 Oakland – (California) Chemical leaks from North Bay water
treatment plant. A tank containing a chemical used as a disinfectant leaked from the
- 14 -
Hennessey Water Treatment plant in St. Helena, California, Napa county fire officials
said July 31. Around 11,000 gallons of 6.5 percent sodium hypochlorite was leaking at
a rate of 5 gallons a minute at the wastewater Treatment plant at 4:30 p.m., according to
a California Fire captain. A CalFire battalion chief said crews were able to contain the
chemical that escaped. The spill leaked through a secondary line of defense, a concrete
berm, which had cracks along its base. The faulty tank was one of nine kept behind a 3foot concrete wall designed to contain chemicals in case they escaped. Instead, the
corrosive liquid started leaking through cracks. Crews from Napa County, American
Canyon, and CalFire started shoveling dirt to keep the liquid that was flowing downhill
from draining into the dirt. The battalion chief said he was not sure how much of the
chemicals leaked into the soil. Water treatment workers started pumping the liquid
chemical into portable tanks. The water treatment plant is located below Lake
Hennessey, which is used for drinking water, and above Conn Creek. The primary goal
was to prevent the chemical form reaching the dirt and leaching into the water supply.
The batallion chief said the water supply was not contaminated, andthat the
surrounding was environment unaffected. Details on the number of gallons of
chemicals that reached the land surrounding the plant won’t be available until the
cleanup is complete.
Source: http://www.ktvu.com/news/28718089/detail.html
35. July 30, Florida Today – (Florida) 2 charged with stealing cooper from a Brevard
County water plant. Two Seminole County men accused of stripping copper from a
Brevard County water plant in Florida were in jail July 30. Both suspects face charges
of burglary, grand theft, felony criminal mischief, and resisting arrest without violence.
Brevard County sheriff’s deputies responded at about 3:20 a.m. after receiving an
anonymous call from a man who reported seeing the men stealing the copper and
taking it to an empty lot. Deputies found a large hole cut in the chain link fence, and
three 50-gallon trash cans filled with copper and brass fittings. The sheriff’s aviation
unit and K-9 deputies responded after the first deputies on scene saw the suspects run
into the woods. Deputies are trying to determine how much damage was done to the
plant.
Source:
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110730/BREAKINGNEWS/110730003/2charged-stealing-cooper-from-Brevard-County-water-plant
For more stories, see items 8 and 10
[Return to top]
Public Health and Healthcare Sector
See item 33
[Return to top]
Government Facilities Sector
- 15 -
36. July 30, San Diego Union-Tribune – (International) Anonymous threat at U.S.
Consulate considered false. An anonymous threat called in from a public telephone in
Tijuana, Mexico, July 29 brought law enforcement agencies to the newly opened
offices of the U.S. Consulate General in the city's Mesa de Otay section, authorities
said. A spokesman for Mexico's Baja California Public Security Secretariat said the
state’s communications center received a call shortly before 10:30 a.m. reporting that
“armed persons were going attack the American Consulate.” He said the call turned out
to be a false alarm. A U.S. Consulate official acknowledged the anonymous call, but
said the facilities remained open.
Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/29/anonymous-threat-usconsulate-considered-false/
37. July 29, Next Gov – (National) Agencies lag on social media security, privacy
concerns, GAO says. Federal agencies that use Facebook, Twitter, and other social
media to push their messages to the public and gather citizen input have not adequately
investigated privacy and security concerns with the new online tools, according to a
report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). About half the 23 agencies
GAO surveyed also have been lax in developing guidance on when and whether text,
pictures, and video posted to social media sites must be maintained in accordance with
the 1950 Federal Records Act, which requires the conservation of important
government information, the report found, and the National Archives has not given
agencies sufficient guidance on that point either. Of the 23 agencies surveyed, only 12
have developed guidance on social media records management, and 12 have updated
their privacy policies to address social media use, and only 7 have identified and
documented security risks related to social media use, the report found. Most of the
security concerns GAO highlighted had to do with malicious code embedded in links
and documents on social media sites that an unwitting agency Tweeter or Facebook
poster might be tricked into clicking. That code could then jump from the Tweeter's
computer to other agency computers and deliver classified or personal information back
to a hacker. The Archives agreed with the agency's assessment and will publish new
guidance with a list of best practices for when agencies are required to maintain social
media posts, GAO said. About half the agencies included in its study also agreed to
improve guidance on security and privacy related to social media, GAO said. A handful
of agencies dissented from some suggestions.
Source: http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110729_8056.php
For more stories, see items 8, 41, and 52
[Return to top]
Emergency Services Sector
38. July 31, KTLA 5 Los Angeles – (California) Released Calif. inmate killed after
hijacking ambulance. Police fatally shot a man who barricaded himself inside a
church in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles July 30 after hijacking an
ambulance shortly after being released from jail. The suspect was being transported by
an ambulance to the hospital after posting bail at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in
- 16 -
Lynwood, California. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the suspect, who
was in custody for resisting arrest, had just been released from jail after posting bond,
and was being transported to a hospital. While in the ambulance, he managed to punch
a paramedic and take control of the vehicle before crashing it into the church.
According to witnesses, an officer was stabbed in the arm during an altercation with the
suspect . As many as five shots were fired, striking the suspect. The suspect was
declared dead at the scene, and the officer was transported to the hospital.
Source: http://www.emsworld.com/article/article.jsp?id=17806&siteSection=1
39. July 29, Richmond Times-Dispatch – (North Carolina) Office building fire in western
North Carolina kills 1 firefighter, injures 10 others. A firefighter in western North
Carolina died after rushing into an office building fire that also injured 10 of his
colleagues. The 37-year-old captain died July 28 while fighting the fire at the 5-story
building in Ashevhille. Firefighters were searching the building when they heard the
fire captain call “mayday” on his radio. He was taken to a hospital where he died. The
man had been with the fire department for 13 years. Nine of the injured firefighters
were taken to a hospital, and three were treated and released. One firefighter was in
critical condition July 29 at the Joseph M. Still burn center in Augusta, Georgia. A fire
chief said the more than 200 people in the building got out safely.
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/office-building-fire-in-western-northcarolina-kills-1-firefighter-injures-10-others/2011/07/29/gIQAp9x0gI_story.html
[Return to top]
Information Technology Sector
40. August 1, Softpedia – (International) New Mac trojan hijacks Google
searches. Security researchers from F-Secure have identified a new Mac OS X click
fraud trojan that hijacks Google searches by inserting a rogue DNS entry into the hosts
file. The trojan comes hidden as a Fake Player installer so it is likely distributed as part
of a social engineering attack that asks users to update Flash Player to see a video or
something similar. Once run on the system, the trojan modifies the operating system's
hosts file, and inserts an entry that points all Google sites (www.google.*) to a rogue IP
address under the attackers' control. The hosts file can be used to manually specify
DNS entries that take precedence over the responses sent by the system's DNS server.
Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/New-Mac-Trojan-Hijacks-Google-Searches214515.shtml
41. July 30, Softpedia – (International) SecurID data breach cost RSA $66 million. A
data breach that resulted in the theft of information related to its SecurID authentication
product cost RSA Security and its parent company EMC $66 million so far. According
to the Washington Post, the sum was revealed in an earnings call July 26. The costs
included expenses associated with monitoring the networks of defense contractors,
federal agencies, and other customers who expressed concerns over the integrity of the
product after the breach. The intrusion occurred in March and was the result of a spear
phishing attack against RSA employees that exploited a zero-day Flash Player
vulnerability. The company was very vague following the breach saying only that
- 17 -
information regarding its SecurID product was targeted, but that its customers were not
at risk. RSA was criticized by the information security community for its lack of
transparency regarding this incident, and in May it was reported that a cyber attack
against Lockheed Martin involved cloned SecurID devices. Following the attack and
the revelation that other military contractors might also have been targeted as a result of
its data breach, RSA Security offered to replace all SecurID tokens for concerned
customers.
Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/SecurID-Data-Breach-Costs-RSA-66-Million214318.shtml
For more stories, see items 18 and 37
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
42. July 29, Pottstown Mercury – (Pennsylvania) Berks County man admits stealing
copper from utility poles. A Berks County, Pennsylvania man will be under court
supervision for 5 years for his role in copper wire thefts from utility poles in Pottstown
and Upper Providence. The man was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 5
years’ probation after he pleaded guilty to charges of theft by unlawful taking and
conspiracy in connection with two incidents that occurred between March and May
2010. The judge also ordered him to share with his alleged co-defendants in the
payment of $8,974 in restitution to Verizon Communications, which owned the copper
wire. An investigation began in March 2010, when Verizon officials reported to
Pottstown police a large section of communication cable had been cut and stolen, the
arrest affidavit said. Witnesses told police they observed a subject climb two utility
poles and cut off a section of wire, about 160 feet. Two suspects were then observed
putting the wire into a Ford pickup truck and leaving the scene, court documents
indicate. Pottstown police received a break in the case May 13, 2010, when Upper
Providence police spotted two men attempting to steal wire from a utility pole, a
criminal complaint said. On the ground near the men, authorities found about 50 feet of
copper cable wire and some bolt cutters, according to the arrest affidavit. The men
admitted they did not have permission to be on the pole or to take wires from the pole.
Source:
http://pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/07/29/news/doc4e337a43ed7a3491233040.txt?view
mode=fullstory
For another story, see item 37
- 18 -
[Return to top]
Commercial Facilities Sector
43. August 1, Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette – (Indiana) Fire burns 36-unit apartment
building. The residents of a 36-unit apartment building in north Fort Wayne, Indiana,
were displaced after a fire burned through the roof and gutted part of the upper floor
July 31, city fire officials said. Firefighters were sent to 10004 Dupont Lakes Drive,
near Dupont Road and Interstate 69, shortly after 3 a.m. As they drove to the building,
they could see flames shooting through the roof from a block away, the assistant chief
said. Many of the residents had evacuated the 3-story structure by the time fire crews
arrived. The assistant chief said firefighters went through the building knocking on
doors, making sure all the apartments were empty. It took firefighters about 1 hour and
15 minutes to get the fire under control. A resident’s grill on a second-floor balcony
started the fire. “The hot coals that were still in the grill ignited combustibles that were
too close," he said, adding that having a grill on the balcony was a fire-code violation.
Not all 36 apartments were damaged. The assistant chief estimated 18 of them were not
affected. Residents in those 18 units were allowed to go back into their homes to gather
belongings.
Source:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110801/LOCAL07/308019917/1002/LOCAL
44. August 1, Associated Press – (Wisconsin) Pipe bomb found in Rock County lake
after man swimming with children steps on it. Rock County, Wisconsin sheriff's
deputies are investigating after a 14-inch pipe bomb was found July 31 in a county lake
by a man swimming with his two young children. The sheriff's office said the man
reported finding the bomb in about 3 feet of water near a swimming pier in Lake
Koshkonong about noon. The bomb did not detonate when the man stepped on it. The
man carried the bomb to the lakeshore, and buried one end in the sand. Deputies arrived
and found the bomb, which was made out of 2-inch plastic pipe with a 4-inch fuse. The
Dane County bomb squad was called and detonated the device. Deputies were
searching for the bomb builder.
Source:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110801/GPG0101/108010453/Pipebomb-found-Rock-County-lake
45. July 31, Cleveland Plain Dealer – (Ohio) Shooting kills one, injures three after
George Clinton concert at Luke Easter Park in Cleveland. Four people — two
boys, a man and a woman — were shot July 30 at about 10 p.m. at Luke Easter Park in
Cleveland, Ohio, during the eighth annual Unity in the Park festival. A 16 year-old
male victim died July 31, and the rest of the wounded were being treated at
MetroHealth Medical Center, a police sergeant said. A spokeswoman at Cleveland's
Emergency Medical Services reported tone of the victims was in critical condition.
Two others were stable. Authorities said they were searching for a male suspect who
pulled out a handgun and fired into a group of people during the fight. No arrests were
reported in the hours after the shooting, the police sergeant told the Associated Press.
"It was a large fight. Somebody in the crowd produced a handgun and fired several
- 19 -
times," the police sergeant said, adding all four victims were hit by gunfire. The 16year-old who died was shot in the head, and a 20-year-old woman suffered a gunshot
wound to the neck, police said. A police statement added that a 14-year-old boy and a
23-year-old man also were hospitalized — each with a gunshot wound in the left leg. It
wasn't immediately clear how long after musicians had performed that the shooting
erupted — nor how many people were still in the area. Police do not have a description
of the shooter. Thousands of residents, many from the Mount Pleasant and Kinsman
neighborhoods, gathered at the park earlier in the day for the celebration, aimed at
strengthening the community and family.
Source: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/07/shooting_at_luke_easter_park_-.html
46. July 31, Norcross Patch – (Georgia) Woman arrested for Norcross shopping center
arson. Gwinnett County Fire Investigators and U.S. Marshals arrested a Macon,
Georgia woman and charged her with intentionally setting fire to two Norcross,
Georgia businesses. The 48-year-old woman was arrested July 28, according to a news
release. Investigators said she tried to torch the entrance doors to two businesses in the
strip center at 5060 Avalon Ridge Parkway sometime between May 6 and 9. The
damage was limited to the exterior of both businesses. Employees reported the incident
to the Gwinnett County Fire Department when they arrived at work. Though the
department has not released the specifics of the case, investigators said they found
“sufficient evidence” to link the woman to the fires. She has been charged with two
counts of first-degree arson, two counts of terroristic threats/acts, and one count of
criminal trespassing.
Source: http://norcross.patch.com/articles/woman-arrested-for-norcross-shoppingcenter-arson
47. July 29, WTVF 5 Nashville – (Tennessee) Guests evacuated after Nashville hotel
catches fire. Guests at a Days Inn hotel in Nashville, Tennessee went running from
their rooms July 28 after several rooms caught fire. Firefighters were called just after
11:30 p.m. Witnesses said the fire was intense, billowing out of a second-story room.
Even before firefighters arrived, hotel managers began evacuating guests in
neighboring rooms. Firefighters arrived quickly and hit the flames with water, and soon
got it under control. Officials said one room was completely destroyed. At least four
other rooms suffered heat and smoke damage. It was unclear if anyone had been
staying in the room that was destroyed, but officials said there were guests in the
surrounding rooms. None of the guests were hurt, but a firefighter was transported to
the hospital for heat-related problems. "You can estimate this fire was 1,500-degrees to
totally destroy all the furniture in there," said a district chief with the Nashville Fire
Department. Investigators expected to return July 29 to reconstruct the scene and
determine the cause of the fire.
Source: http://www.newschannel5.com/story/15173717/guests-evacuated-after-hotelcatches-fire
For more stories, see items 1, 7, 39, 51, 52, and 53
[Return to top]
- 20 -
National Monuments and Icons Sector
48. July 30, Associated Press – (Utah) Former Utah park director charged with mail
fraud. A 40-year-old Holladay, Utah man, who is the former executive director of Salt
Lake City's This is the Place Heritage Park, was charged with one felony count of mail
fraud in the misuse of park funds. The charge against the man was filed in U.S. district
court, the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News of Salt Lake City reported. The suspect
used his position to submit false and fraudulent invoices to the park for reimbursement
when in fact they were for personal use, according to court documents. The charge
stems from allegations the man sent a park check for $6,800 through the mail to a cattle
ranch in Parma, Idaho. He diverted park funds to his private livestock operation to buy
cattle and equipment, the suspect's attorney said. He was fired in January after an
internal audit revealed that more than $240,000 in park funds was missing. The man
has paid back about two-thirds of that amount, the suspect's attorney said. The suspect
was executive director for 5 years at the state park, which memorializes Utah's pioneer
past.
Source: http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/story/Former-Utah-park-directorcharged-with-mail-fraud/QVSJqybxG0eNLMT2Dx8u2A.cspx
49. July 30, Oklahoma City Oklahoman – (Oklahoma) Broken water pipe causes Sieber
Residences evacuation. Tenants at the Sieber Residences were cleaning up after a
busted water pipe forced an evacuation there July 30. The Oklahoma City Fire
Department was called to 1305 North Hudson about 12:30 a.m. Residents were
evacuated for several hours. An employee who answered the phone at the building said:
“The problem is fixed, we are cleaning up, and we are moving on.” It is not known
what caused the water pipe to break on the sixth floor of the historic structure.
According to its Web site, the Sieber was built in 1928 and was listed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 2006. It has 30 apartments and 8 loft style apartments.
The hotel underwent extensive renovation in 2006.
Source: http://www.newsok.com/broken-water-pipe-causes-sieber-residencesevacuation/article/3590428?custom_click=headlines_widget
50. July 29, Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register – (California) Historic fire
lookout burns east of Springville. The Needles Fire Lookout Tower was destroyed
July 28 in a structure fire unrelated to the Lion Wildland Fire in the Golden Trout
Wilderness of Sequoia National Forest and parts of Sequoia National Park in
California. The tower was located east of the Ponderosa Lodge on the Western Divide
Highway. The loss of the tower severed a vital communication line for the 160
firefighters battling the the almost 17,500-acre Lion Wildland Fire, a district ranger
said. The U.S. Forest Service employee operating the tower got out safely, she said.
The lookout was also used as the employee’s office and home during fire season in the
summer months. Built in 1937-1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps on top of a
rock formation, the lookout tower at 8,245 feet allowed staff to detect fires as far away
as Mt. Whitney, including the Kern River drainage, Olancha Peak, Farewell Gap, and
Dome Rock.
Source: http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20110729/NEWS01/110729005
- 21 -
[Return to top]
Dams Sector
51. July 30, Bowling Green Daily News – (Ohio) Corps lists 3 options to fix Rochester
dam. Officials in Butler, Ohio, and Muhlenberg counties in Ohio are left wondering
what their next move is now that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has presented three
proposals for fixing the Green River Dam in Rochester. The Corps took a look at what
it would take to stabilize the dam and earlier this month presented three solutions, the
first costing $799,000 for a temporary fix with rocks and mortar in front of the dam
gates that are leaking. That fix could last 25 to 50 years. Option 2 calls for pilings and
concrete reinforcement and rocks to make it even stronger, at a cost of $3.3 million.
Option 3, requiring a complete new dam, was the most expensive at $21.5 million. The
Corps determined the dam is not in danger of immediately failing. The facility holds
back the river, which supplies water for 46,000 homes and several industries. A release
said the Corps has no money for further design work, but noted that the study has laid
the groundwork for that.
Source: http://bgdailynews.com/articles/2011/07/31/news/news5.txt
52. July 30, Omaha World-Herald – (Nebraska; Iowa; South Dakota) Officials sure levees
will hold. On July 29, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced its schedule for
cutting back releases from the six upstream Missouri River dams whose unprecedented
discharges have burst downstream levees and flooded homes, farms, and highways.
Continued high releases threaten levees protecting the homes of 40,000 people and
billions of dollars of infrastructure in the greater Omaha, Nebraska area, including
Eppley Airfield, Offutt Air Force Base, and Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station. From a high
of 160,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) — the rate water flowed July 29 — releases from
Gavins Point Dam in South Dakota are scheduled to be cut nearly in half by the end of
August, and three-fourths by the end of September. The mayor of Council Bluffs, Iowa,
said the city calculates the river could drop off the Bluffs' levees within about a month.
That is because the river will drop below the bottom of the levee before it drops below
flood stage. The homes of about 30,000 Council Bluffs residents are at risk from a
levee breach, and the city has 28 miles of levees. The commander of the Corps’ Omaha
district said the reservoir reductions do not mean the danger has passed. "Now is the
time to really make sure we double-down on our ... forces and make sure we're
watching levees," he said. That's because problems continue. The mayor said that July
28, several sand boils were discovered south of Interstate 80. Crews July 29 laid a
heavy blanket of sand and gravel to suppress the boils, and plugged a culvert. In
Omaha, crews laid a sand blanket to cover a mushy spot that developed. Communities
and businesses have been battling flooding since late May. Corps officials indicated
that at the end of August, they will pause release reductions to assess whether the
drawdown is damaging dams or levees. The Corps is concerned soggy soil could
slough off levees and dams if water levels drop too quickly. If the dams and levees look
good, the Corps will continue to lower releases to about 40,000 cfs by October 1.
Source: http://www.omaha.com/article/20110730/NEWS01/707309899/-1
- 22 -
53. July 29, KWQC 6 Davenport – (Iowa) Levee breach forces evacuations. A levee on
the Plum River in Savanna, Illinois, has breached, prompting evacuations in low-lying
areas. Families on Superior, Ontario, and Erie streets were asked July 28 to pack up and
move out. It is the same area where the levee broke last year. Back then, flood waters
took out two railroad beds and washed out the ground beneath the Highway 84 Bridge.
Emergency responders had to rescue dozens of people from their homes. This time, the
water came up more slowly from heavy rainfall. Authorities said about 20 homes were
evacuated. The water started to go back down by the afternoon of July 29, and some
people had been allowed to return, but not everyone.
Source: http://www.kwqc.com/Global/story.asp?S=15171580
[Return to top]
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
Contact Information
Content and Suggestions:
Send mail to cikr.productfeedback@hq.dhs.gov or contact the DHS
Daily Report Team at (703)387-2267
Subscribe to the Distribution List:
Visit the DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report and follow
instructions to Get e-mail updates when this information changes.
Removal from Distribution List:
Send mail to support@govdelivery.com.
Contact DHS
To report physical infrastructure incidents or to request information, please contact the National Infrastructure
Coordinating Center at nicc@dhs.gov or (202) 282-9201.
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 inform
personnel engaged in infrastructure protection. Further reproduction or redistribution is subject to original copyright
restrictions. DHS provides no warranty of ownership of the copyright, or accuracy with respect to the original source
material.
- 23 -