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Protecting
U.S. Oil Facilities
In January 2004, the House
Select Committee on Homeland Security released the
initial findings of a report, America At Risk:
The State of Homeland Security, that alleged gaps
in the Bush Administration's homeland security efforts.
One finding emphasized lax chemical plant security
and noted that there are more than 66,000 chemical
facilities in cities, towns, and rural areas in the
United States.
Oil storage facilities, however, number in the
hundreds of thousands and can be even more vulnerable
to terrorists than chemical facilities.
Around the world, war and acts of terrorism account
for a large fraction of major oil spills. Terrorists
appear to be targeting pipelines, where the majority
of oil spills occurred in recent years. For example,
of the 257 largest oil spills in 1999, more were
caused by terrorist bombings in Colombia (51) than
the combined number of spills from tankers, barges,
and other vessels (36) according to data published
in International Oil Spill Statistics by
Cutter Information Corp. Two war-related oil spills
in the Persian Gulf are among the largest ever to
occur—the 1983 Nowruz No. 3 well spill during
the Iraq-Iran War and the 1991 Sea Island installation
spill during the first Gulf War. Each of these was
several times larger than the spill caused by the Exxon
Valdez in 1989.
Threats to foreign oil facilities have increased
drastically. In April, terrorists attempting to damage
Iraqi infrastructure attacked Arabian Gulf oil terminals
in Bahrain. Islamic militants attacked oil complexes
and residential compounds in Saudi Arabia in May,
killing or capturing several petroleum industry workers.
Pipeline bombings in Iraq in June halted oil exports,
as insurgents increased attacks prior to the change
in government. |
This article was published in the Summer
2004 issue of Perspectives.
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The federal regulatory framework for oil facilities in
the United States includes security planning requirements
established by the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). The Coast Guard rule requires owners
or operators of marine transportation-related oil facilities
to designate security officers, develop Facility Security
Plans, and implement security measures specific to the facility's
operations. EPA regulations subject nontransportation-related
oil facilities to security requirements that were developed
to prevent vandalism, but also can prevent acts of terrorism.
An EPA-regulated facility must plan for discharges of all
types, whether caused by accident, natural hazard (e.g.,
earthquake or lightning), or deliberate acts (e.g., vandalism
or terrorism). The requirements address responses to "worst
case discharges," which can damage the facility and
oil infrastructure, disrupt waterborne commerce, and damage
the economy or environment.
The Coast Guard and EPA regulations represent a good start
toward securing the nation's oil storage infrastructure.
However, these regulations alone are not sufficient. As owners
and operators of oil facilities implement these regulations,
they also should analyze vulnerability and threat information
specific to their facility to further reduce the likelihood
and consequences of terrorist incidents and damage to their
infrastructure.
 The risk to oil facilities in the United States is a very
real one. This spring, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
sent an advisory to the Texas oil industry and law enforcement
officials warning of a terrorist threat to coincide with
the November Presidential elections. Other countries also
are preparing for such threats. This year, Australia's largest
anti-terrorism exercise began with a scenario involving the
mock takeover of an offshore oil rig by terrorists. Most
homeland security exercises and drills in the United States
focus on chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction
that cause large-scale casualties. Recently, the U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT) modified its National Preparedness
Exercise Program to incorporate terrorist attacks on pipelines.
However, pipelines are only one element of the oil infrastructure:
terminals for pipelines (distribution centers), refineries,
and drilling rigs—also attractive targets for terrorists—are
outside the scope of DOT’s exercise program. It seems
appropriate that future exercise programs feature attacks
on all key components of the oil infrastructure (e.g., terminals
and refineries). This will help address the growing terrorist
threats to these facilities by identifying vulnerabilities
and protective measures.
For the past 20 years, ICF International has assisted EPA's
Oil Program in developing all oil spill prevention and response
regulations. We are currently supporting the development
of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National
Infrastructure Protection Plan, which includes 17 sectors
and key resources (e.g., energy, including oil pipelines;
chemical; banking and finance; transportation; and public
health).
Learn more about ICF International's homeland
security capabilities.
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