Security of the Nation’s Highways Lacking
March 6, 2009 (WASHINGTON) – Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report requested by Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, on the security of the Nation’s highway infrastructure. The report, entitled Federal Efforts to Strengthen Security Should Be Better Coordinated and Targeted on the Nation’s Most Critical Highway Infrastructure, demonstrates how much TSA must strengthen and clarify its surface transportation mission and reveals significant gaps in the Department’s efforts toward securing a critical element of both our economy and society.
GAO found:
• Like other surface transportation modes, the U.S. highway system is particularly vulnerable to potential terrorist attacks because of its inherent openness, making the system more of a challenge to secure.
• Failure to prepare for a terrorist attack against critical highway infrastructure could result in catastrophic loss of life and economic disruption estimated to be in the billions of dollars.
• DHS components, including TSA, IP, and the Coast Guard, have several programs underway to assess the vulnerability of highway infrastructure assets; however, the scope and purpose of these separate efforts vary considerably. Similarly, the results of these have not been adequately coordinated or shared.
• DHS and TSA have developed a strategy to guide highway infrastructure security efforts, the Highway Modal Annex, but the strategy was not fully informed by available risk assessments, and is therefore not an effective national strategy.
• TSA also lacks a mechanism to monitor implementation of voluntary security measures. Without this, TSA can have no way of determining the level of overall security preparedness for highway infrastructure assets deemed nationally critical.
Chairman Thompson released the following statement with the release of the report:
“This GAO report illuminates serious gaps in the Department’s efforts to secure critical highway infrastructure. Lack of coordination among Department components and highway infrastructure owners and lack of a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of security measures by infrastructure owners have seriously limited the Department’s ability to evaluate the level of overall security preparedness for the Nation’s critical highway infrastructure.
I am committed to working with Secretary Napolitano and highway stakeholders to secure these vital arteries of our economy.”
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Dena Graziano or Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978
