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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2003

SCHUMER RELEASES NEW HOMELAND SECURITY REPORT CARD: FEDERAL EFFORT STILL LEAVES NEW YORK DANGEROUSLY UNPROTECTED

Schumer reports some progress but still a long way to go – gives Feds a "C-"overall – Grades ranging from a "B+" on Bioterrorism Response to an "F" on Truck and Chemical Plant Security

Local gov'ts in NYC, suburbs and upstate doing good job but need more help from Feds – gaping holes still remain in air, rail, truck, and port security, nuclear power plants, immigration, cyber-security

Senator worries that only two years after 9/11, Washington is starting to get complacent

Two years after the attacks of September 11, US Senator Charles Schumer today released a new analysis showing that despite some progress on improving homeland security, the overall result has left New York dangerously unprotected. Schumer gave the federal government a "C-"overall in homeland security preparedness in New York, with grades ranging from a "B+" on Bioterrorism Response to an "F" on Truck- and Chemical Plant Security. Schumer also found that the good efforts being made by town, city and county governments across the state are being hamstrung by a lack of support from Washington.

"We toppled the statue of Saddam in the center of Baghdad, but we're still not doing enough to protect the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor," said Schumer, the Chair of the Senate Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security. "During the Civil War, Americans said 'millions for defense but not one penny for tribute.' Today we're spending billions on the war on terror overseas, but need to be doing a lot more to fight the war here at home."

Before the attacks of September 11, the United States had no comprehensive plan to defend its highways, railways, and waterways. Schumer's analysis found that since the terrorist attacks, the federal government has begun to address many security needs but has completed few of them, and has often not provided the money needed to fully shore up security. Governments across New York including New York City and suburban and upstate towns, cities and counties have been hampered by a lack of federal funding, and in most areas of homeland security they confront a lack of focus and effort from the federal government.

"I'm afraid Washington is starting to get complacent when it comes to homeland security," Schumer said. "Our men and women in military uniforms in Iraq need $87 billion more to fight the war over there. They'll get it because they need it, and because we all need them to get the job done right. But the men and women in law enforcement uniforms here at home get shortchanged every day - and we need them to get the job done right too,"Schumer said.

Among highlights of the report are:

• Air Security: Despite the August arrests of arms dealers in New York who were trying to provide shoulder-fired missiles to terrorists, the Administration's plan to protect commercial aircraft from Stinger missiles will not be implemented before the end of 2005. And in August, three Brooklyn youths in an inflatable raft were blown ashore at JFK airport and did not encounter any airport security until they walked into the airport's police headquarters - the government has offered no financial help for patrolling airport perimeters. Efforts to improve passenger and passenger-held luggage screening have gone well, but over 950,000 people a month still fly into or out of New York City-area airports on flights that are also carrying unscreened mail or cargo, and there are still no plans to begin screening cargo on commercial passenger flights. GRADE: C-

• Port Security: Inspections of cargo transported on boats and trucks remain lax, and poor radiation detection technology leave ports and border crossings vulnerable to terrorist groups trying to smuggle dirty bombs into the country. This week, the Coast Guard launched a SWAT Team-like 94-member Maritime Safety and Security Team in New York Harbor that is specially trained and equipped to provide quick responses to terror threats - and in June Senators Schumer and Clinton delivered $20.2 million to help protect the Port of New York and New York Harbor. But just 1 or 2 percent of the 5.7 million cargo containers that come through American ports are screened for contraband materials, leaving us vulnerable to weapons of mass destruction and even terrorist stowaways. GRADE: D

• Rail Security: Post September 11th, security experts agree that our rail system is highly vulnerable to attack, and significant sections of Amtrak's infrastructure remain completely unprotected. Amtrak's continuing financial difficulties have made it clear that the Federal government has to step in and provide the funds for vital security upgrades. Despite a $100 million investment in security improvements at New York's Pennsylvania Station, $350 million more in upgrades is needed to protect the 400,000 people who use Penn Station every day. GRADE: C-

• Truck Security: In June, an Ohio-based truck driver admitted to conspiring with Al Qaeda to attempt to destroy American bridges, and chemical and fuel laden trucks were used in three terrorist attacks worldwide in the last 18 months. Still, the federal government has done virtually nothing to protect New Yorkers from unsecured trucks, even though 8 million of them go into and out of New York City every day, over 6 million in the Hudson Valley, 5 million on Long Island, 1.9 million in Syracuse and Central New York, 4.9 million in Buffalo and Western New York, 5 million in Albany and the Capital Region, and 1.4 million into Rochester. GRADE: F

• Nuclear Plant Security: Although it is widely known that Al-Qaeda has considered striking US nuclear facilities, the federal government has taken only small, incremental steps toward addressing nuclear power plant security. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission study of nuclear plant vulnerabilities to land-based, water-borne, and airborne attacks will not be completed until fall of this year, and experts are concerned that the revised "design-basis threat" does not adequately incorporate the potential for airborne or September 11th-scale attacks. Spent fuel storage facilities at nuclear power plants continue to be housed in unhardened structures that are highly susceptible to aerial and other attacks. Westchester's Indian Point has three spent fuel pools, each of which is housed in buildings that contain less than 18 inches of concrete in the walls and approximately 6 inches of concrete in the roof. GRADE: C+

• Bioterrorism: Bioterror protection is probably the area of homeland security where the most progress has been reached. The federal government has helped educate doctors and hospitals to detect early signs bioterror and, vaccine storage and distribution systems are vastly improved. Nonetheless, New York City hospitals have been promised approximately $125,000 each in federal funding to fight bioterror, but have seen only $40,000 so far. Even the total funding is nowhere near the $3 million per hospital that the Greater New York Hospital Association estimates each hospital will spend for bioterror preparedness in 2003 alone. GRADE: B+

• Cyber-terrorism: All of the fiberoptic wires connecting the US to Europe and the Middle East funnel into just two locations in lower Manhattan. Roughly 80% of Internet traffic goes through less than 12 facilities across the country. Although a physical attack on these facilities would devastate the country's cyber infrastructure, no steps have been taken to protect these facilities. GRADE: C

Schumer's analysis graded the federal government's efforts to protect New York's airports, roads, ports and harbors, rail system, border crossings, water supply, nuclear power plants, chemical plants – as well as the efforts to assist local hospitals with developing bioterrorism responses, fortify the Northern Border, enhance cyber security, and improve immigration.

For a copy of the Homeland Security Report click here.

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