Continuing threats since the 9/11 attack have ramped up concerns for protecting
all forms of public infrastructure, including water, telecom, transportation,
and energy. While all are vulnerable, special attention is being given to gas
pipelines, nuclear power plants, and dams. In spite of assigning national guard
troops to protect such installations by some states, reports still indicate
a frantic effort is needed to shore up our lagging knowledge of potential threats
and to create effective defenses, if possible.
For example, only one experiment, in 1988 at the Sandia National Laboratories
in Albuquerque, NM, apparently was ever made to simulate the results of a fighter
plane impacting a nuclear plant and that was never scientifically replicated
with passenger aircraft. Larry Perrine, of Sandia, said, "To say nuclear
vessels are safe as a result of this test would be misleading. You can't take
one particular test of a relatively small airplane, crash it into a concrete
slab and conclude that all nuclear containment reactors could withstand a crash
from a [passenger] plane."
What this writer is most concerned about is the inability to patrol and defend
the enormous miles of above ground infrastructure including gas and oil pipelines,
and electric transmission lines. One deranged gunman closed the Alaska pipeline
for three days with a single bullet and spilled countless barrels of precious
oil. Of special obvious concern are local electric distribution sub-stations
one sees all around town barely bounded by a flimsy security fence or wall and
left totally unguarded.
All privately owned energy companies are responsible for their own security
plans. While state and local officials can make recommendations they don't have
authority to order company expenses for securing facilities. Many state and
local government organizations are seemingly stunned into inaction. Elia Germani,
chair of the PUC of Rhode Island said, "Frankly, I'm looking for some guidance
to come from the state or Homeland Security Director. We're still in the information
gathering stage."
One can only wonder if the consuming public is willing yet to accept the enormous
cost and shift in priorities it will take to even partially protect these facilities
from attacks that could disable large segments of our economy and add immensely
to the anxiety and fear already threatening the nation's future. In my experience,
people won't change until it hurts too much not to. One can only hope that our
tolerance for pain is low enough to support the crash effort of security research
and development that is needed. Perhaps we also need to learn a new social psychology
of living with a higher level of risk than ever before. Godspeed to Gov. Tom
Ridge and all those involved in Homeland Security.