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"We can spend billions securing our airports, providing
small pox vaccines to everyone and increasing guards at the
northern border, but if we do not secure our truck fleet, this
country will still be at grave risk from a terrorist attack,"
Schumer said. "A terrorist with a fuel tanker driving up
to a building in New York could do unspeakable damage. We need
to enact common-sense steps to protect ourselves, our city,
and our country."
While
Congress has implemented strict deadlines and provided billions
of dollars to address airline security, little effort has been
made to fix truck security. No money has been spent other than
$500,000 on driver-training courses. To bolster our truck security,
Schumer announced specific steps to track drivers, cargo, and
the vehicles themselves:
•
Federal background check's for truck drivers. Schumer called
on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to perform
background checks on all driver's applying for state commercial
driver licenses. Driver's who wish to receive such a license
would be required to undergo a background check to ensure that
they do not pose a risk. A federal system would relieve states
and small trucking firms from the burden of performing background
checks themselves, something many firms would not be able to
afford. Schumer urged that this step first quickly be implemented
for those drivers applying for HAZMAT licenses, as those shipments
are the most at risk.
•
Tracking Technology for All Trucks. Already many of the larger
trucking companies have Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems
on their trucks. These systems allow the companies to always
know where the trucks in their fleet are. If a truck moves off
route, the company knows. Schumer asked the TSA to start mandating
GPS in all trucks in order to allow authorities to find a truck
quickly if intelligence shows a risk exists. GPS systems cost
only $75 to $100 per truck and would provide benefit that would
greatly outweigh this small cost. Many companies have stated
that they are holding off implementing new technology until
government rules are in place.
•
HAZMAT Database. Schumer also called on the TSA to require companies
shipping hazardous materials to register trucking plans with
the agency. The plans would be similar to flight plans that
airplanes need to file. Because all trucks will have GPS under
Schumer's plan, it would be easy to ensure that shipments followed
the plans they filed. If it turned out that a truck carrying
HAZMATs veered off their proscribed course, authorities could
easily find the truck and ensure nothing suspicious was happening.
"Registering
trucking plans for HAZMAT shipments is a common sense way to
make sure that these dangerous payloads are being delivered
to the right place. If a terrorist planned an attack using a
truck carrying dangerous chemicals or fuel, authorities would
quickly be able to tell that the shipment was off course, pinpoint
the location of the truck, and stop the attack," Schumer
wrote in a letter to Admiral James Hoy, head of the TSA.
•
New Technology Study. Finally, Schumer called on the TSA to
increase research into new technologies that could bolster the
safety of the nation's truck fleet. Such technologies would
include panic buttons in case a truck is hijacked, and automatic
engine kill switches that could be triggered remotely if a truck
were stolen or veered off its intended delivery route. Such
technology is already in place in Brazil and has resulted in
the recovery of $500 million worth of stolen freight.
"If
Brazil can protect its trucks, I am sure the United States can
do the same. Developing new technologies will ensure that our
truck fleets are safe and one more weapon will be taken out
of the terrorists arsenal," Schumer said.
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| SCHUMER:
8 MILLION UNSECURED TRUCKS GOING IN AND OUT OF NEW YORK CITY EVERY YEAR
POSE SERIOUS TERRORIST THREAT Chemical
and fuel laden trucks are weapon of choice for terrorists and have been
used in three terrorist attacks worldwide this year alone; law enforcement
officials fear they will be used in the United States
Over 2,000 shipments
of hazardous materials enter and leave New York City by trucks each
day
Schumer's new plan
to protect New York City includes federal background checks for truck
drivers, mandated tracking technology in trucks, and a database to monitor
hazardous materials traveling along our highways
US Senator Chuck
Schumer today warned that unsecured trucks going in and out of New York
City pose a major terrorist threat and left unaddressed leave New York
vulnerable to significant attack. To counter the threats posed by trucks
transporting hazardous chemicals and fuels to populated areas, Schumer
unveiled a new plan to secure our truck fleet.
"The lesson we learned after 9/11 was that we can never be too
careful when it comes to securing our homeland," Schumer said.
"Well, guess what? Today if terrorists wanted to do something horrible
to us, chances are they could take a truck with dangerous materials
in it, drive it to a major landmark, ignite the cargo right there, and
cause unspeakable damage. To keep New Yorkers safe, we need to invest
the money and energy on securing our trucks that we have directed towards
protecting our airways, railways, and harbors. The danger is too great."
The imminent danger posed by unsecured trucks has been highlighted by
three attacks this year in which fuel-laden trucks were used. In April,
a terrorist drove a truck carrying liquefied natural gas and ignited
his cargo in front of a synagogue in Tunisia, killing 21 tourists. In
May and August, terrorists attached remotely triggered bombs to Israeli
fuel tankers. Although no one was killed, terrorism experts say the
attacks signal a new tactic being employed by terrorists. Across North
America, terrorism officials were alerted in May when a truck hauling
96 drums of sodium cyanide was stolen north of Mexico City.
New York City is especially
vulnerable to truck attacks because its main entryways from New Jersey
endure a tremendous amount of truck traffic. The George Washington Bridge
sees approximately 15,000 trucks a day, the Holland Tunnel is traveled
by nearly 8,000, and nearly 9,000 trucks pass along the Goethals/Verrazano/Gowanus/BQE
each day.
Intelligence agencies and
experts also warn that New York is at heightened risk of a truck attack
because its vast fleet of trucks, especially those carrying loads of
toxic chemicals or explosive fuel, are ideal terrorist weapons. According
to the 1997 Census of Interstate Commerce, 28 million tons of hazardous
material (HAZMAT) – material capable of posing unreasonable risk
to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce –
comes from New York State, and 31.5 million tons of HAZMAT enters New
York each year. 740,000 HAZMAT shipments travel each day by truck in
America and over 2,000 HAZMAT shipments pass through New York City each
day.
In the United States,
about 50,000 trips are made each day by gasoline tankers, many of which
hold as much fuel as a Boeing 757. The trips often end with a late-night
delivery to a deserted gas station. Experts say that chemicals present
an even greater risk, particularly those like chlorine or cyanide, which
can form clouds of deadly fumes.
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