March: Biodefense // Guest columnUnderstanding – and minimizing – today’s prevalent CBRNE threats // by Matthew Sweatt
Published 27 March 2008
Today's response structures are too narrow in focus; while being prepared for a small pox attack is great, what would happen if another bio-toxin were used? Most billion-dollar detection equipment today only looks for anthrax, allowing today's emerging threats easily to penetrate most systems
To most eyes, today’s biochemical landscape appears as it has in the past. No new chemical or biological threats have been developed; just variations in the delivery methods of known threats. If one thinks the overall threat levels have subsided, however, they cannot be more wrong — and are placing themselves in a very vulnerable position.
The scale of today’s threats is heavier than ever before. Many terror cells are actively seeking to purchase or develop CBRNE weaponry. Anthrax, smallpox, pneumonic plague, cholera, and botulism remain the most researched toxins by agencies, as they are the most developed, weaponized toxins known. The United States has issued orders for the manufacturing of nearly one-hundred million vaccinations for smallpox, and hopes to have enough to treat everyone in America if smallpox were to be used as a weapon.
We are making strides in understanding CBRNE risks, but as a nation we are far from proper preparedness. Even though the United States has begun stockpiling smallpox vaccines, and the U. S. Postal Service (USPS) has purchased billion-dollar detection equipment, an adequate preventive approach is still lacking. Today’s response structures are too narrow in focus. While being prepared for a small pox attack is great, what would happen if another bio-toxin were used? Most billion-dollar detection equipment today only looks for anthrax, allowing today’s emerging threats easily to penetrate most systems.
Many Americans falsely believe there has not been any terrorist activity since the anthrax attacks of 2001-2002. From ricin found in the White House mail in November 2003, to the multiple package bombings in the United Kingdom in 2007, mail-borne threats have continued to torment government and commercial organizations across the world.
In my experience, I have seen many real threats and hoaxes, yet everyone still has an “it won’t happen to me” attitude. When businesses are asked whether they believe they are at risk to mail- or parcel-borne contaminants, most believe they are not; and if they were, irradiation of mail entering their facilities eliminates all risk. Irradiation does not neutralize chemical, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats; it is only helpful against biological threats.
Furthermore, most Americans believe that their mail is irradiated, but this is not accurate, either. Only certain zip codes are irradiated and no major commercial carriers routinely irradiate their mail stream. At last check, only 15-20 zip codes — all associated with government agencies — are being irradiated on a regular basis by the Postal Service. This means that with 20 zip codes out of approximately 48,000 zip codes in America, the USPS is irradiating only about 0.0004 percent of mail delivered annually.
The myths of irradiation killing all threats have made individuals complacent about their level of protection, and have put them at risk. The recent discovery of ricin in a Las Vegas motel room has proven the fact that dangerous threats still exist, and preparation must be made to protect government, corporate and civilian property and life.
Mail stream vulnerability
The mail stream is extremely vulnerable to CBRNE attacks for many reasons. More than 500 billion pieces of mail are delivered annually in America between the USPS and commercial carriers. It is impossible for a facility to detect all types of threats that could exist. Furthermore, anybody can send individuals or their businesses mail anomalously.
Since 2001, more than 20,000 post office closings have been attributed to powder threats — a number that does not take in account the plethora of business days, and costs, lost to similar threats.
