BR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 11, 2006

Transporting hay to be subject to new regulations

“Under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, regulations regarding the transporting of hay will go into effect in December. The new rules are designed to protect against serious threats to the food supply. The regulations relate only to transported hay that is destined to be fed to livestock entering the nation’s food chain, such as beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goats.”
(News-Democrat & Leader, 11Aug06, Chris Milam) http://www.newsdemocratleader.com
/articles/2006/08/11/news/farm_news/fnews01.txt

Kansas, Missouri eyed for bioterrorism research center: Both states make cut as U.S. officials trim the field for a $451 million bioterrorism facility

“Missouri and Kansas remain in a hotly contested national competition for a $451 million federal bioterrorism research complex. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security culled nearly a dozen of the initial applicants this week, leaving sites in Leavenworth, Manhattan and Columbia among 18 locations in 11 states that will move to the next round. Federal officials are to compile a short list of finalists by the end of this year and name the location for the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility by early 2008.” (The Kansas City Star, 11Aug06, Jason Gertzen) http://www.kansascity.com/mld
/kansascity/business/15246407.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

UC [University of California]-Livermore lab proposal enters finals for terror lab: Proposal includes national biodefense lab on 7,000 acres near Tracy [California]

“On rolling, grassy hills between the Bay Area's cities and the farms of the Central Valley, the University of California and scientists of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory see a biodefense lab as large as two Wal-Mart Supercenters. Federal homeland-security authorities gave the nod Wednesday to the university and its 7,000-acre site near Tracy along with 17 other proposals nationwide as contenders for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (EN-BAF).” (insideBayArea.com, 11Aug06, Ian Hoffman)
http://www.insidebayarea.com
/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?article=4166956

Man arrested over exports to North Korea

“Japanese police arrested a man Thursday for allegedly exporting to North Korea machinery that can be used to make biological weapons, in a crackdown on trade with the communist nation over concerns about its nuclear program. The Korean suspect, a former president of a trading company, is accused of illegally exporting a freeze dryer to North Korea in 2002, said Shinji Matsuzaki, a police official in the western prefecture (state) of Shimane. The man was charged with not obtaining proper approval from Japan's trade ministry, said Matsuzaki, whose police department conducted the investigation jointly with colleagues in neighboring Yamaguchi prefecture.” (The China Post; 11Aug06; Hans Greimel, Tokyo AP) http://www.chinapost.com.tw
/asiapacific/detail.asp?ID=87651&GRP=C

Asian Biosafety Practices Fall Short of International Standards

“A report recently released by Sandia National Laboratories shows that researchers in 16 Asian countries often use insufficient biosafety practices. Biosafety Level (BSL) 2 practices are often employed for research involving BSL 3 agents. Nearly two-thirds of respondents investigating Japanese encephalitis, avian influenza, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) - which are all BSL 3 agents - perform their research under BSL 2 specifications. This report was produced under contract by BioInformatics, LLC, an Arlington, VA-based research and consulting firm, and is now publicly available on the Sandia Web site. BioInformatics used its cutting-edge research expertise to create this report on Asian biosafety and biosecurity research practices in support of Sandia National Laboratories' Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Department.” (Genetic Engineering News, 10Aug06, Biowire)
http://www.genengnews.com
/news/bnitem.aspx?name=4490582


Depot destroys last GB [sarin] nerve agent rocket

“Workers at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) achieved a significant milestone by safely destroying the last of 91,442 GB (sarin) nerve agent rockets and warheads originally stockpiled at the Umatilla Chemical Depot (UMCD). With the GB rockets gone, plus completion of two GB bomb campaigns earlier this year, public risk of continued storage of chemical weapons at the depot has been reduced by more than 90 percent.” (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency, 09Aug06)
http://www.cma.army.mil
/docviewerframe.aspx?docid=003675835

Army pitches changes to weapons destruction plan

“A series of proposed changes to a state conservation and recovery act will allow VX munitions disposal at the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility to proceed with greater ease, the Army says. ‘Even if these (adjustments) are smart and pragmatic, they require a modification request,’ explained Tim Garrett, site project manager for the disposal facility. In total, five requests will be submitted to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management ADEM.” (The Anniston Star, 09Aug06, Matt Kasper) http://www.dailyhome.com
/news/2006/as-local-0809-mkasper-6h09a1619.htm

Olivette [Missouri] Emergency Teams Practice For Terrorism

“The terrorist plot in Britain led to a heightened awareness at a simulated terror drill Thursday in Olivette [St. Louis County, Missouri]. The mock exercise had area hazmat teams heading to Saints Arena to deal with the release of chemical weapons. The St. Louis County disaster drill was planned more than six months ago. Organizers say now, more than ever, it is a chance to better prepare for known and unknown terrorist threats.
The mock terror drill involved a chemical release near thousands of potential victims.” (KSDK.com, 10Aug06, Jeff Small)
http://www.ksdk.com/news
/news_article.aspx?storyid=101742

South Asian Workshop on Technical Aspects of the CWC Transfers’ Regime Held in Nepal

“A sub-regional workshop for customs authorities in South Asia on technical aspects of the Chemical Weapons Convention’s transfers’ regime was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on 9-10 August 2006. This workshop was jointly organized by the Government of Nepal and the OPCW. Over 50 participants, including 17 from 9 States Parties (Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore and Sri Lanka) and one State not party (Myanmar), attended the workshop. A representative from the European Union also participated in the workshop. The workshop was designed to provide a platform for experience sharing among participating States Parties on topics such as the identification of chemicals relevant to the Convention including the Harmonised System, current recommendations of the World Customs Organization and potential changes to that System, sources of information for customs officials as well as current laboratory- and customs-related matters, such as discrepancies in the reporting of transfers’ of scheduled chemicals (including those occurring to or from free ports and free zones), software for customs services, risk assessment, and transshipments. (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 10Aug06) http://www.opcw.org
/pressreleases/2006/PR46_2006.html

Guinea Establishes OPCW National Authority

“In compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), The Republic of Guinea has informed the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that it has established the National Commission against Chemical Weapons as its National Authority. Article VII, paragraph 4 of the Chemical Weapons Convention states: ‘In order to fulfill its obligations under the Convention, each State Party shall designate or establish a National Authority to serve as the national focal point for effective liaison with the Organization and other States Parties.’ A CWC National Authority is crucial in ensuring the effective implementation of the CWC within each State Party’s national jurisdiction. (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 10Aug06) http://www.opcw.org
/pressreleases/2006/PR47_2006.html

Third International Basic Course on Assistance and Protection Held in Serbia

“The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Republic of Serbia jointly organised a five-day assistance and protection training course from 10 to 14 July 2006 in Kru_evac, The Republic of Serbia. This workshop was held at the Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence (NBCD) Training Centre of Competence. 18 participants from the following Member States attended this event: Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Common Wealth of Dominica, Latvia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malta, Nigeria, Qatar, Russian Federation, Republic of Serbia, Sri Lanka, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turkey, and Viet Nam. This training course is an annual event offered by the Government of the Republic of Serbia under Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).” (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 10Aug06) http://www.opcw.org
/pressreleases/2006/PR45_2006.html

Raytheon: dirty bomb detectors show promise

“Raytheon Co. sensors that scan cargo shipments for nuclear weapons and "dirty bombs" could generate $1 billion in U.S. sales, company officials said yesterday at a Washington press briefing. Raytheon won a $28 million Department of Homeland Security contract in July to make and demonstrate the new systems, as one of three firms selected for the $1.2 billion program. The U.S. agency says it wants to buy a lot of the new systems if technology demonstrations are successful. Raytheon's timeline calls for deploying a test system in November. A low-rate production run could be ready by January, with full production on track to start by July 2007 if the Department of Homeland Security chooses to move forward.” (The Boston Globe, 11Aug06) http://www.boston.com
/business/ticker/2006/08/raytheon_dirty.html

Practicing preparation

“People in special suits, decontamination showers and triage areas filled a parking lot at Kellogg Community College [in Michigan] on Wednesday after a dirty bomb exploded in a classroom. The dirty bomb was make-believe. The rest was not. The exercise was designed primarily to test decontamination procedures, according to Jim Zoss, emergency services director for the city of Battle Creek. More than 150 people from more than
15 agencies participated in the morning exercise, which is part of ongoing training funded with money from federal Homeland Security grants.” (The Battle Creek Enquirer, 10Aug06, Trace Christenson)
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com
/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060810/NEWS01/608100331/1002

US seizes uranium to thwart terrorists

“The US secretly removed nearly 45 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium from a research reactor in Poland on Wednesday - one of the largest seizures of material that could be used to develop a nuclear bomb, US officials said. Reflecting increased efforts to curb the threat of nuclear terrorism, technicians from the US National Nuclear Security Agency recovered the highly enriched uranium from a civilian institute about 32 kilometres from Warsaw and transferred it, under heavy guard, to a facility in Russia.”
(The Sydney Morning Herald, 11Aug06, Bryan Bender) http://www.smh.com.au
/news/world/us-seizes-uranium-to-thwart-terrorists/2006/08/10/1154803027485.html