[Infowarrior] - DHS: Could chicken coops be a terrorist target?

[Richard Forno]

Could chicken houses be a terrorist target?
By Joseph Gidjunis
Staff Writer
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070822/DW01/70822031
4/-1/DW

WASHINGTON -- Chicken houses across the country are one step away from being
named the newest terrorist targets demanding stricter access and regulation,
according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

As part of the DHS Chemical Security Anti-Terrorism Standards, facilities
with more than 7,500 pounds of propane gas -- 1,785 gallons -- could be
considered high-risk. To determine if a facility is a security risk,
operators must process complete "Top Screen" safety measures, including
vulnerability assessments, develop site security plans and implement
protective measures approved by DHS.

U.S. Sens. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Tom Carper,
D-Del., have co-authored a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff demanding answers for what they describe as a waste of government
time and money.

The rule affects nearly every poultry grower across the Delmarva peninsula,
and as many as 20,000 sites across the country, because propane gas is the
most popular chicken house heating method. One house typically has a 1,000
gallon to 1,500 gallon tank attached to it. There could be more than 50,000
facilities subjected to the report in the United States, according to the
National Propane Gas Association.

"We appreciate the fact that Homeland Security does have a responsibility to
the security of this nation, but in terms of what is considered a threat, I
would think chicken houses would be so far down on the list that nobody
would ever find it," said Worcester County farmer Virgil Shockley, who has
9,000 gallons heating six chicken houses.

If the rule is approved, the regulations would require farmers to take 25 to
30 hours to fill out Internet-based reports. This process could prove
taxing, if not impossible, because of a lack of high-speed Internet access
across parts of Delmarva. Using unsecured connections at public libraries
isn't a realistic possibility either, said Bill Satterfield, executive
director of Delmarva Poultry Industry. DPI, which serves as the region's
research and lobbying arm for more than 1,400 poultry growers and four major
firms, encouraged its members to take action last May because violations are
fined $25,000 per day.

The letter the U.S. senators wrote to DHS earlier this month requested an
explanation as to why the regulations are necessary for such a low amount of
the chemical. No reply has arrived.

"The raising of poultry is a major industry and a key driver of economic
growth in our states," according to the joint letter. "Given the serious
threats that are currently facing our country and the limited resources of
the Department of Homeland Security, please explain why this initiative is a
good use of federal dollars. We urge you to ensure that no unnecessary
burdens are placed on the poultry industry."

Satterfield said he understands the rule, but it was intended for industrial
sites, not family farms.

"It's unlikely that family farms growing chickens would be the object of
terrorist attacks, and a risk assessment is a waste of their time and the
government's money," Satterfield said.

If the government keeps the rule, he's worried that farmers will be forced
to circumvent the rule by reducing the size of their tanks, but that would
mean spending more money for more frequent refills of a smaller tank.

"The three 1,000-gallon propane tanks at a local grain elevator, or nursing
home, or school or campground are not terrorist targets," said NPGA Senior
Vice President Philip Squair in a May 1 news statement. "What DHS is asking
is for ordinary homeowners, businesses and farmers to declare themselves
terrorist targets because they choose to use propane to heat their houses
and businesses."

Hundreds of public comments were filed with the DHS on the proposed rule,
and many expressed displeasure with its possible implications.

"Completing the registration and screening process will be very difficult
and costly to family-owned poultry farms like mine," wrote Mark and Christy
McDowell of Greenwood. "I believe the Screening Threshold Quantity for
propane should be increased."

The industry hopes the 7,500-pound limit cap will jump to 18,000, which
would bypass most of the region's poultry farmers.

jgidjunis at dmg.gannett.com

4100-749-7171, Ext.

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