October 29, 2003   LIEBERMAN QUERIES DHS ON INSECURITY OF PLUM ISLAND When Are Problems Actually Going To Be Fixed   WASHINGTON - Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Wednesday requested that the Department of Homeland Security explain its plans for resolving severe bio-security problems at Plum Island Animal Disease Center. In a letter to Under Secretary Charles E. McQueary, Lieberman said the laboratory - which studies highly contagious animal diseases, some of which, like West Nile Virus, can also affect humans – “represents a potential target for terrorists seeking to obtain these pathogens.” Plum Island - located in Long Island Sound, 12 miles south of New London, Conn. - is designated a bio-safety level 3 agricultural lab. A recent General Accounting Office report found the lab still had “fundamental problems that leave the facility vulnerable to security breaches.” For example, it did not have adequate equipment in place to detect intruders and had too few security guards to be effective. The Department of Homeland Security agreed with GAO’s assessment and concluded that the “next steps are to develop a step-by-step corrective action report with timelines and actionable items.” “This dangerous source of potential bio-weapons, located so close to major population centers, must be properly secured from terrorists,” Lieberman said. “Citizens living in the vicinity of the Long Island Sound need to know exactly when and how security problems are going to be fixed.” “I recognize that DHS has had administrative responsibility over the facility for only a short period of time. Nonetheless, I hope you would agree that it is imperative that the risk associated with this facility be defined and addressed as soon as possible.” Click below to view a copy of Lieberman’s letter to Dr. Charles E. McQueary, Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the GAO report on Plumb Island   ###   Printable Version   Related File(s)   GAO Report on Plum Island (1.0 MBs)   Lieberman letter on Plum Island (26.5 KBs) « previous Press Release next Press Release »   1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 October 2003 Press Releases   October 31 - McCain, Reed, DeWine, Lieberman to Offer Gun Show Background Check Amendment to Gun Immunity Bill   October 30 - Dodd, Lieberman Announce Grants for Connecticut Fire Fighters   October 30 - Lieberman Condemns Bush Administration Plan to Open Wilderness-like Lands to Oil and Gas Industry   October 29 current Press Release   October 28 - Senators Question Weaknesses in Border Protection, Especially Risk Assessment of Cargo   October 27 - Lieberman Mourns District's First Elected Mayor   October 24 - Lieberman Seeks Investigation of Ricin Response   October 24 - Senators Seek Investigation of Impact of CIA Agent's Exposure   October 23 - Barbara Kennelly Post Office in Hartford Approved by Committee   October 22 - D.C. Should Have More Control Over Its Own Money   October 22 - Senators Question Excessive Reliance on Consultants for Proposed Outsourcing of Immigration Information Officers   October 22 - Lieberman, Durbin: GAO Study Shows Federal Regulatory Process Still not Open to the Public   October 21 - Federal Electronic Rulemaking Progresses, But More Work is Needed   October 17 - DOD Privacy Protections Questioned by Bipartisan Trio Collection of JetBlue Passenger Information May Have Violated the Law   October 17 - Lieberman to White House: Speed Up Document Production for September 11th Commission   October 15 - Democrats Seek Security Training for Flight Crews   October 15 - Lieberman Reacts to 9/11 Commission Decision to Subpoena Administration for Documents   October 14 - Lieberman Pushes for Bio-Terror Preparedness on Second Anniversary of Senate Anthrax Attack   October 10 - Lieberman Says DHS and Department of Education Should Work to Prepare Schools for Terrorist Attacks   October 10 - Lieberman Questions Administration Commitment to Clean Air Litigation   October 8 - Lieberman, Jeffords Seek Plans for Protection of Water, Other Vital Services   October 8 - Lieberman, Dodd Announce Grants for Connecticut Fire Fighters   October 3 - Sunshine for Iraqi Reconstruction Projects Included in Iraqi Spending Bill   October 3 - Lieberman, Levin Introduce Improved Independent Counsel Law   October 2 - Administration Preparing to Let Air Polluters Off Hook
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 340 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510