Ridge Says Steps Being Taken
By Mike Ahlers, CNN Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Scores of chemical plants across the country may be attractive targets for terrorists, according to a critical government report which says the federal government has not fully assessed that threat.
The report -- released Tuesday by the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress -- noted that an attack on a chemical plant could result in toxic releases that could harm hundreds of thousands of nearby residents.
“The federal government has not comprehensively assessed the chemical industry’s vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks,” the report read. Voluntary efforts, the report added, “are not sufficient” to ensure the public’s safety.
Secretary Ridge On ‘OPERATION Liberty Shield':
Sen. Jon Corzine, D-New Jersey, said the report underscores a key vulnerability and points to the need for government action.
“This report confirms that chemical facilities are obvious targets for terrorists, endangering the millions of American who live and work around them,” said Corzine, sponsor of a bill to regulate chemical plant security. “When it comes to homeland security, we can’t rely on voluntary programs.”
Asked about the report, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge Tuesday conceded the possibility that terrorists could use chemical plants as a weapon, and said it was the subject of conversations Monday night with the nation’s governors.
“There is no question that when we take a look at a chemical facility, the possibility that terrorists could use that economic asset and turn it into a weapon is something that we need to be concerned about and are concerned about,” Ridge said. “So it is a legitimate concern, but it is not unknown to everyone responsible for security measures around those facilities, and additional security measures will be taken.”
Wednesday, Ridge told CNN that the country is better prepared for a terrorist attack than the report might suggest, but he conceded more needed to be done.
“Every single day, there are actions taken in this country to help reduce the risk, to help reduce the vulnerability ... Are we at the precise point where we can say we’ve got it all done? No. I’m not sure we’ll ever be there,” Ridge said.
According to the GAO report, the Environmental Protection Agency has identified 123 chemical facilities throughout the nation in which an accidental toxic release could endanger more than one million people in the surrounding area.
Each one of about 700 facilities could potentially threaten at least 100,000 people, and each of about 3,000 facilities could potentially threaten at least 10,000 people.
The chemical industry voluntarily has taken initiatives to address security, such as assessing vulnerability, but no agency either monitors or documents security measures, the report said.
The Homeland Security Department announced an enhanced security plan, working with state and local governments to bolster security at airports, rail stations, ports and on highways. Under the plan, dubbed Operation Liberty Shield, some asylum applicants could be temporarily detained.
Ridge said he ordered those steps because Iraqi groups or state agents -- as well as al Qaeda terrorists -- could launch attacks against the United States during a war with Iraq.
The nation’s terror threat level was raised to high or orange Monday night.