Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the threat of bioterrorist attacks on American agriculture.
Agroterrorism is a real and continuing concern. When Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge last month raised the threat advisory level to high, he launched Operation Liberty Shield to increase security and readiness in the United States. One part of Operation Liberty Shield involved taking additional steps to guarantee our food security. The government started to inspect imported food more carefully. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alerted the food and agricultural community to give greater care in monitoring feedlots, stockyards, processing plants, import and storage areas.
An ongoing outbreak of avian influenza in the Netherlands is an example of the type of crisis we might face, and the coordination that may be needed, if a terrorist launched an attack on our agriculture. More than nine million of the estimated 100 million chickens in the Netherlands were slaughtered to prevent the disease spreading since the outbreak began in late February. Some 800 farms in the eastern Netherlands were affected. Dutch exports of fowl and poultry products were stopped. The cost so far to farmers and the government is an estimated $108 million dollars.
The Dutch government took a number of strong steps to contain the disease. The Dutch Army was called up to help. Some 100 troops joined more than 400 police and customs officers to enforce a quarantine around the epicenter of the outbreak and to keep the disease from spreading to nearby Germany and Belgium. A ban on movements of live chickens and eggs within the country was imposed in early April. This led to some inconvenience to consumers since the supply of eggs in grocery stores was limited.
A coordinated attack by terrorists on some of our leading chicken producing states, for example, Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama and North Carolina, with the an impact equivalent to the natural outbreak in the Netherlands would have serious consequences.
Egg and chicken production in the United States is a $20 billion plus a year industry. Another $10 billion is spent on processing and getting the chicken and eggs to market. We export more than a billion dollars of chicken products a year. Some thirty thousand farm families are involved in raising chickens. Three hundred thousand people work in processing and transporting chickens for market.
On any given day there are some 1.5 billion chickens sitting in chicken coops in the United States. Over a hundred million birds might have to be slaughtered. If there was a ban on shipment of chickens and eggs, not only would chicken producers suffer, so would related industries. The trucking industry, food processing industry, food retailers, and those involved in exporting chicken products abroad would all feel the impact. Billions of dollars in losses could result. The impact on farm families and employment could be substantial.
Of course, my concern about agroterrorism is not limited to the poultry industry. Agriculture and related industries, such as food processing, manufacturing, and transportation, account for approximately 13 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and nearly 17 percent of domestic employment. The deliberate and coordinated spread of livestock or crop diseases could have a devastating effect on our nation.
USDA is the lead authority in responding to agricultural emergencies. It has taken several steps to improve our ability to counter a terrorist attack upon our nation's agriculture. USDA has created a homeland defense council and increased border inspection and research activities. USDA's overall activities, and actions in support of Operation Liberty, are commendable. But we need to do more to prepare ourselves.
Responding to an agroterrorist attack will require coordinated efforts by the USDA, and other federal agencies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Defense, Transportation, and Justice will all have a role to play. In addition, these agencies must coordinate with states, localities and farmers and ranchers.
In February, I introduced the Agriculture Security Assistance Act (S.427) and the Agriculture Security Preparedness Act (S.430). The purpose of this legislation is to encourage additional and improved coordination and preparedness on the federal, state, regional, and local level.
The Agriculture Security Assistance Act (S. 427) will assist states and communities preparing for and responding to threats to the nation's agriculture. My bill aims to improve our detection and response capabilities so they are rapid and swift enough to contain the spread of a disease. S.427 directs USDA to work with each state to develop and implement response plans. The legislation establishes grant programs for communities and states to incorporate modeling and geographic information systems into planning and response activities. This funding also will help animal health professionals participate in community emergency planning activities and assist farmers and ranchers in strengthening the biosecurity measures on their own property.
The Agriculture Security Preparedness Act (S. 430) will enhance agricultural biosecurity by strengthening interagency and international coordination. The Act will establish senior level liaisons in DHS and HHS to coordinate with USDA on agricultural disease emergency management and response. This bill will task DHS and USDA to work with the Department of Transportation to address one of the largest risk factors in controlling the spread of a plant or animal disease: the movement of animals, plants, and people between and around farms.
Although our ability to respond to an agroterrorism attack is improving, there is still much more that could and should be done. The bills I have introduced will take the necessary steps to further enhance the actions already taken to improve agricultural security in the United States. I look forward to the Senate's support for these important bills.
