The Denver Post October 5, 2001 Friday
House panel OKs police help for nation's dams
By Mike Soraghan, Denver Post Washington Bureau,
WASHINGTON - As the nation's dams remain on heightened security in the wake of the terrorists attacks, Congress is moving to beef up the law enforcement presence at the facilities, which provide drinking water and electricity to millions across the country.
The House Resources Committee this week approved a measure to allow the Bureau of Reclamation, which operates many dams around the West, to contract with law enforcement agencies to enforce federal laws at its water projects.
'In the past we never wanted to think these groups would do something this horrendous,' said the measure's sponsor, Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif. 'Whether it's the air we breathe or the water we drink, we now have to take a different look.' Security officials, he said, are also looking at more permanent measures such as fencing around reservoirs and aerial surveillance. Before Sept. 11, the main safety concerns about dams had not been terror, but earthquakes and the strain put on them by tons of water.
But with a jittery nation worriedly trying to protect potential sabotage targets before terrorists strike again, the huge structures are coming under closer scrutiny. 'We've never looked at the terrorism issue before,' said Larry Stephens, executive director of the Denver-based U.S. Society on Dams. 'It's something we may have to now.'
Even with more police, the threats will be hard to combat. The West's huge reservoirs can have hundreds of miles of shoreline, making it hard to detect someone trying to poison the water supply. 'These groups have looked at bioterrorism,' he said. 'If you have the right kind of agent, you can contaminate a water supply pretty easily by just tossing it into the water.'
Another fear is someone actually demolishing a dam, releasing tons of water onto whatever lies below, including cities and other dams. But security experts say the huge concrete structures are tougher than many might think.
'You can't just crash an airliner into them and they'd fall. The airliner would just bounce off,' said Tim Brown, a senior analyst with Globalsecurity.org. 'It's probably beyond the reach of a five- or six-man cell.'
The Bureau of Reclamation operates 348 reservoirs, 58 hydro-electric power plants and 300 recreation sites around the West with 90 million visits a year. There have been no threats against dams, bureau officials said, but they have remained on high alert ever since the attacks. Many facilities have closed their visitor centers and canceled tours.
Roads to some have been closed, while others have checkpoints staffed by local police. At Hoover Dam in Nevada, heavy trucks are not allowed to drive across the top of the dam. But the Bureau of Reclamation doesn't have the authority to enforce federal law at its facilities, except for Hoover Dam, which has its own police force.
The dams have security guards, but if there's vandalism or a drunk in a campground, they have to call sheriff's officials. 'It's a patchwork right now,' said Joan Moody, a spokeswoman for the Interior Department, which includes the Reclamation Bureau.
There have been security problems in the past, such as illegal entry at the Klamath Project in Oregon this summer when water to farmers was cut off because of the Endangered Species Act. According to a Resources Committee report, reclamation officials also regularly report problems with vandalism, illegal dumping and drug-related activities.
The idea of allowing the agency to contract for police has been discussed before, but never passed. But it's being put on a fast-track now because of the terrorist attacks. The Senate has scheduled a hearing next week on an identical bill, which is to serve as a platform for broader legislation on protecting not only dams, but pipelines and power grids.
Copyright 2001 The Denver Post Corporation
