Chemical Facility Preparedness: A Comprehensive Approach
Abstract
Across the country thousands of facilities use, manufacture, or store large stockpiles of toxic and/or flammable substances. Many sites are clustered together in densely populated areas. If terrorists cause catastrophic chemical releases or explosions at these key facilities, large numbers of Americans will be put at risk of injury or death. Such attacks may also have a devastating impact on the U.S. economy. Surprisingly, in light of these risks most chemical sites have not implemented adequate measures to prevent, mitigate, deter, and/or respond to terrorist attacks. This thesis proposes that private and public sectors partner together to improve the preparedness of chemical facilities for acts of terrorism. More specifically, key stakeholders from both sectors need to forge Regional Defense Units (RDUs). Their primary purpose is to effectively reduce the attractiveness of regional chemical facilities as targets for terrorists. To achieve this goal, a mixture of mandates ( sticks ) and incentives ( carrots ) need to be regionally developed, implemented, and sustained by RDUs. Collaborative regional efforts using an appropriately balanced and community-governed carrot and stick approach can be the most effective option for federal policymakers and the Department of Homeland Security to improve chemical facility preparedness, and thus homeland security.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA457304
Entities
People
- Daniel Pennington
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School