U'S' Department of Transportation

1
U.S. Department of Transportation

• Vulnerability Assessment for Chemical,
  Biological, Radiological Weapons of Mass
  Destruction

2
Purpose

• Increased threat of chemical / biological /
  radiological weapons.
• Evaluate the vulnerability of DOT Headquarters
  for various attacks.
• Determine strategies to best protect the building
  and occupants.

3
Consultant Resources

• Argonne National Labs
• University of Chicago Tony Policastro
  630-252-3235
• Booz, Allen, Hamilton
• Nicholas Bahr 703-377-0372
• U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
• Homeland Defense Unit
• Jim Duhala 410-436-4730

4
Why Buildings are Likely Targets

• Large population densities
• Hazardous concentrations are achievable indoors
  with small quantities
• Agents can be delivered into a building with
  little warning
• Residual effects can make a building
  uninhabitable for extended periods of time
• Detection of chemical/biological hazards is
  challenging

5
Agents of Concern

• Military chemical agents
• (Nerve gases, Mustard agents)
• Toxic industrial chemicals
• (Chlorine, Arsine, Hydrogen Cyanide)
• Biological agents
• (Anthrax, Tularemia, Smallpox)
• Radiological agents

6
Methods of Agent Delivery

• Internal Release
• Agent released inside of building
• Tokyo subway attack
• External Release Proximate
• Agent released into external openings or air
  intakes
• External Release Remote
• Agent plume envelopes the building from upwind
  source
• Matsumoto attack

7
Basic Approaches for Protecting

• Continuous high efficiency air filtration
• Physical security (exclusion)
• Detector-initiated protection
• Internal filtration
• Personal respiratory protection
• Sheltering-in-place
• WMD response plans
• Education and Awareness

8
Vulnerability Assessment Approach

• Site Visit
• Examine the existing condition of protective
  capabilities within the facility, based on the
  three agent delivery methods
• Examine the facility for potential application of
  known effective improvements
• Report
• Assign a vulnerability description rating for
  each factor
• Provide recommendations (with cost estimates) for
  reducing vulnerability