Basic Information

Overview

Following the terrorist events of September 11, 2001 and the mailing of anthrax contaminated letters later that year, EPA’s mission broadened to include protecting human health and the environment from the effects of biological, chemical, and radiological contamination due to homeland security events.

EPA produced the Strategic Plan for Homeland Security in order to identify the specific actions need to handle its expanded mission. EPA’s homeland security research develops and delivers both expertise and products used to prevent, prepare for, and recover from terrorist threats and incidents, as well as evaluate commercially available products that have homeland security related applications.

EPA’s water security research focuses on developing tools and applications that can provide warnings to water utilities in the event of terrorist attacks with chemical, biological, or radiological weapons. Methods that help decontaminate water and wastewater infrastructure more rapidly and economically are investigated.

EPA’s indoor and outdoor decontamination research focuses on developing and testing tools, applications, and methods to clean up sites contaminated in a chemical, biological, or radiological attack. Research continues on contaminant behavior under different environmental conditions and how best to dispose of contaminated materials generated during site cleanup.

Directives

Homeland Security Presidential Directives

Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Office of the President began issuing a series of Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs).  The HSPDs spell out homeland security policy and identify specific responsibilities for federal agencies.  Many of EPA’s homeland security research responsibilities come from several directives and the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act (Bioterrorism Act of 2002).

HSPD-7, Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection, issued December 17, 2003, identifies 17 critical facilities, networks, and key resources (infrastructure) that require action to prevent, deter, and mitigate against the effects of deliberate action to destroy, incapacitate, or exploit them. HSPD-7 names EPA as the Sector-Specific Agency (SSA) for drinking water and water treatment systems.

HSPD-7 states that Sector-Specific Agencies should work with all relevant federal departments and agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector. The SSA also must conduct or help conduct vulnerability assessments and encourage risk management strategies to protect against and mitigate the effects of attacks against the critical facility or network.

To establish a framework that all agencies could use to identify, prioritize, and protect critical infrastructure and key resources, a National Infrastructure Protection Plan was written and continues to be updated.

EPA’s original Water Sector-Specific Plan and updates are found on EPA’s Water Security Web site.

HSPD-9, Defense of United States Agriculture and Food, issued February 3, 2004, directs EPA to develop a comprehensive and fully coordinated surveillance and monitoring program to provide warning in the event of a terrorist attack using biological, chemical, or radiological contaminants. HSPD-9 also requires the development of a nationwide laboratory network to support the routine monitoring and response requirements of the surveillance and monitoring program.

HSPD-10, Biodefense for the 21st Century, issued April 28, 2004, directs EPA, in coordination with other federal agencies, to develop standards, protocols, and capabilities for addressing contamination risks following a biological weapons attack.  EPA is also directed to develop plans for decontamination after an attack, and to survey chemical, biological, and radiological and nuclear laboratory capacity and capabilities in the United States.

HSPD-22, a classified document on domestic chemical defense, establishes a national policy and directs actions on preventing, protecting, responding to, and recovering from terrorist attacks using toxic chemicals and other incidents involving chemical contamination.

Priorities

Most of EPA’s homeland security research responsibilities are specified in several Homeland Security Presidential Directives and the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act (Bioterrorism Act of 2002).

EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center has worked with stakeholders, customers, and a variety of experts to anticipate possible terrorist event scenarios. A scenario of a likely terrorist attack considers a specific type of attack under specific conditions by determining the most likely:

• timing and sequence of events
• place of attack
• chemical, biological, or radiological weapon or weapons to be used

In order to design scientific studies, scenarios have been prioritized based on examining the most probable scenario that could cause widespread or significant harm.

After the most likely scenarios are determined, a knowledge gap analysis is performed to inventory what tools or methodologies are available that can protect against, detect, or recover from an attack, and what additional information or technologies are needed.

Many of the possible threat scenarios that have been already identified formed the basis of research and development activities. The scientific and technical judgment of EPA and staff, along with independent panels of experts such as the National Academies, EPA’s Science Advisory Board, and EPA’s Board of Scientific Counselors is used to review and help prioritize research plans.

Once a set of research and development priorities is developed, it must be aligned with EPA’s homeland security human and financial resources.  Collaborations with other organizations help to leverage both knowledge and resources.

Adjustments to the homeland security research and development program can be made if new information becomes available, or if the United States Congress changes its funding priorities.

Facilities

EPA’s homeland security research is centrally managed in Cincinnati, Ohio. Other offices and facilities are located in Washington, D.C., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Laboratory facilities are located in Research Triangle Park and Cincinnati.

Organization

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