Local security officials in Texas have confirmed that a 300-pound canister of chlorine gas was stolen from the Montgomery County Regional Water Corporation on July 3, 2007. According to authorities, the assailants cut a hole in a fence located behind several water treatment buildings in order to enter the facility. After gaining access to the plant, the thieves were able to steal the chlorine canister from the second story of a building, and also allegedly turned on valves and tampered with an electrical box.
Investigators have indicated their belief that kids or teenagers may be behind the incident and stole the canister without knowing its actual content. However, officials have also stated that the steel container was visibly marked with the words “Chlorine Gas” in large black letters, making it difficult for the thieves to have not known the contents. Moreover, the weight of the canister has also led some officials to doubt that several teenagers could have moved the container from the second floor of a building and subsequently remove it from the property.
The incident follows several additional thefts involving chlorine gas in recent months. While authorities have not linked any of these events to terrorism, concerns remain over the security of those facilities that house such potentially dangerous substances and vulnerabilities to possible extremists looking to obtain these materials for unlawful use.
Earlier Incidents
In the past few months, officials have reported several incidents throughout the United States involving the theft of chlorine from various types of facilities.
– In March 2007, local police in Tallahassee, Florida announced that approximately 1,600 gallons of chlorine was stolen from a pool supply store in the area. Officials stated that the assailant emptied the majority of a 2,000-gallon tank. At this time, officials have been unable to identify a motive or the individual(s) who stole the material.
– In April 2007, the Chlorine Institute, a trade association that represents at least 200 companies involved in the production, distribution, and use of chlorine and other chemicals, alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to several thefts, or attempted thefts, of chlorine from water treatment facilities in different areas of California. According to media reports, the incidents involved 150-pound chlorine gas tanks from water treatment plants, as well as other companies producing or using the substance.
Chlorine Bombs in Iraq
Since January 2007, Iraqi insurgents have blown up trucks carrying chlorine on at least six different occasions, raising fears that the use of this tactic will continue to spread in the country.
In response to the use of this tactic in Iraq, United States’ officials have increased security efforts that focus specifically on chlorine and other potential chemical weapons. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has urged authorities to increase security measures for chlorine facilities and vehicles transporting the material, stating that the commercial use of 150-pound chlorine canisters is widespread throughout the US.
In particular, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has expressed concern over the possibility that chlorine bombs could be used in an attack in New York City, and therefore has increased the screening and tracking of shipments of chlorine in the city, as well as heightened security measures at storage facilities in the area. Furthermore, the department has confirmed that officers are stopping vehicles transporting chlorine in order to determine if they are properly licensed.
While officials have stated that there are no specific US threats involving chlorine, numerous concerns remain. Specifically, the use of chlorine by insurgents in Iraq highlights the potential for this tactic to be exported to other countries and used in copycat attacks, including those attacks against the US homeland.
Further highlighting the potential threat to the US are the June 29, 2007, failed car bombings in London (Previous Report) and the June 30, 2007, attack at Glasgow Airport in Scotland (Previous Report). According to media reports, the VBIEDs (Vehicle Born Improvised Explosive Devices) used in the attacks were similar to devices currently employed by insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, indicating that extremists elsewhere are following the trends and tactics used in these countries.
Future Outlook
Accidents involving chlorine in the US demonstrate the potential effects of a future terrorist attack. In January 2005, a freight train collided with a parked train in a small town in South Carolina, rupturing tanks carrying chlorine gas. The subsequent cloud of chlorine resulted in the death of nine individuals and injury of another 250.
Moreover, the recent thefts of chlorine in various locations across the country highlight the accessibility of the material to extremists, who could potentially steal dangerous chemicals from a facility or from a vehicle as it is transported to another location.
As extremists have already used chlorine in attacks overseas, the need to address this threat as a potential problem for the US homeland is apparent.
