Terrorism and the Chemical Infrastructure Protecting People and Reducing Vulnerabilities (2006) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-11
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
has divided the nation's infrastructure into 17 categories of critical infrastructures and key resources, one of which is the chemical industry and hazardous materials sector. The chemical sector is a key part of the national economy.
|
From page 2... ...
. The study has examined classes of chemicals and chemical processes that are critical to the nation's security, economy, and health; identified vulnerabilities and points of weakness in the supply chain for these chemicals and chemical processes; assessed the likely impact of a significant disruption in the supply chain; identified actions to help prevent disruption in the supply chain and actions to mitigate loss and injury should such disruption occur; identified incentives and disincentives to preventive and mitigating actions; and recommended areas of scientific, engineering, and economic research and development that might advance the nation's capability to protect against such losses and minimize their impact.
|
From page 3... ...
POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF DISRUPTIONS TO THE CHEMICAL SUPPLY CHAIN By analogy with past accidents involving the chemical industry, it is possible that a single terrorist incident involving the chemical infrastructure could result in catastrophic loss of life or injuries. This report discusses scenarios based on historical chemical incidents that serve as existence proofs (but not necessarily upper bounds)
|
From page 4... ...
The economic effects of a single terrorist incident involving the chemical infrastructure could be significant, but multiple terrorist events would be required to achieve nationally catastrophic economic consequences. The chemical industry is quite diverse, with redundancies that mitigate the effects of loss of production due to major shutdowns.
|
From page 5... ...
Accurate information analysis and communication consists of several components: · Acquiring reliable data -- in an emergency, this includes reducing data errors and ambiguity to the greatest extent possible; · Converting the data into integrated information and conclusions; · Deciding on and communicating appropriate actions; and · Communicating promptly to the public in an accurate, comprehensible, and believable fashion. Effective emergency response depends on the rapid analysis of information received in a crisis to determine its relevance and accuracy.
|
From page 6... ...
RECOMMENDATION: DHS should explore ways to enable rapid analysis and communication of data for decision mak ing and communication to the public during and after an emergency. Near-term benefits can be obtained from research efforts directed toward enhancing emergency preparedness, emergency response, and disaster recovery.
|
From page 7... ...
RECOMMENDATION: DHS should support research di rected toward enhancing emergency preparedness, emergency response, and disaster recovery. SAFER CHEMISTRIES AND PROCESSES The most desirable solution to preventing chemical releases is to reduce or eliminate the hazard where possible, not to control it.
|
From page 8... ...
This will require research to identify the nature of the interdependencies and weak links in the supply chain and con sideration of public-private partnerships to encourage volun tary adoption of protective measures by the weakest links in the chain. SAFETY AND SECURITY OF CHEMICAL STORAGE A container holding significant quantities of a hazardous chemical provides an obvious terrorist target.
|
From page 9... ...
Furthermore, there is speculation, but little research, on whether human responses to intentional terrorist events differ significantly from responses to natural disasters or accidents. Such incongruities between current disaster models and current security concerns need to be identified and examined to determine what, if any, changes are required to our current understanding of mitigation planning, response, and recovery.
|
From page 10... ...
Although the physics of a hazardous materials release can be described using models, effects on populations are not yet well characterized. Limitations in understanding the toxic effects of many substances and in understanding the dose-response relationship of hazardous chemicals over time, especially for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and the poor limit current capacity to model casualties.
|
From page 11... ...
RECOMMENDATION: When considering investments to prevent or mitigate vulnerabilities, DHS should complete an overall risk assessment that would consist of analyzing the combination of vulnerability, threat or likelihood, and conse quences of an event. CONCLUSION The findings and recommendations in this report emphasize the importance of the development of new technology and of investment in current technology and also highlight the need to combine this technology with effective communication strategies, reliable and effective mitigation techniques, and preparedness and response strategies.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.