Homeland Seminar

As required by Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21), the current version of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP 2013—also referred to as the National Plan) provides a unifying structure to define a single program for integrating critical infrastructure and key resources (CI/KR) protection. PPD-21 also assigned a federal agency as the lead Sector-Specific Agency (SAA) for each of the 16 critical infrastructures identified in PPD-21. Each SSA is responsible for developing and implementing an updated Sector-Specific Plan (SSP) for its sector. The original SSPs were published in 2010 based on a Letter of Agreement in the 2009 version of the NIPP, but were updated in 2015. The SSPs detail the application of the NIPP concepts to the unique characteristics and conditions of each sector. A series of incidents in both the U.S. and abroad in recent years has raised concerns about the adequacy of the existing SSP to address major threats or hazards in our water and wastewater sector. The Deepwater Horizon/BP Oil Spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, and the Enbridge oil pipeline spill into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan later that same year, raised concerns about the adequacy of the SSPs to address major contamination of our water system. The BP Oil Spill threatened to contaminate the waterways that border the Gulf, and clearly affected the seafood component of our food supply. Although much cleanup has occurred and fishing has resumed in many areas, experts remain divided or unsure regarding the long-term impacts of the oil spill and dispersants used in the clean-up efforts. The Enbridge Oil Spill contaminated a 35-mile-long stretch of a major river and an inland lake, threatening fishing, water potability, and property values in the area. You and the members of your team should assume the role of senior government officials at one of the major federal agencies with responsibilities for ensuring the quality and safety of the U.S. water sector. There is no central authority for the thousands of physical facilities and processes across the country. The oil spills respectively contaminated Gulf seawater and inland fresh water supplies. Thousands of other active and abandoned wells remain in the Gulf of Mexico, and major oil pipelines traverse many areas of the country. President Obama issued Presidential Policy Directive #21 for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience in 2013. However, President Trump remains concerned about the safety of our water supply from intentional terrorist attacks, or from naturally occurring or accidental contamination. Clean water is a critical element for the health of all living things. It is imperative that our water infrastructure is protected. Could a terrorist duplicate the disaster caused by the BP/Deepwater Horizon or Enbridge oil spills? How do we protect the seafood and inland fishing industry? Are there other high risk operations within our physical water systems that are potential targets for a terrorist? U.S. water systems are owned and operated by a variety of local public or private sector entities, most of which are non-federal. Standards and best practices for dealing with security incidents are poorly defined. Their capabilities to deal with massive oil contamination are limited. This crisis is an example illustrating that our critical infrastructures are interrelated and interdependent. President Trump has specifically requested a study of the Federal government's role to ensure the safety of our water supply (both fresh and sea water), since senior DHS officials are concerned that terrorists may attempt to replicate the BP/Deepwater Horizon or Enbridge disasters. Your team has been invited to participate on the Presidential Action Team, which has an opportunity to help shape the President's agenda to improve the protection of this CI/KR sector. Your presentation should address the roles, responsibilities, capabilities and challenges or limitations of the Federal government in ensuring a safe water supply (both fresh and sea water). Is the SSP an adequate guide to prevent a future incident either from natural causes or from terrorist activity? Does the SSP need changes to account for lessons learned from the BP oil spill? Are linkages needed between the water SSP and the others to address the seafood contamination issue? If actions are necessary beyond those in the SSP, provide specific recommendations with supporting evidence or logical argument for the President. Is the government organized effectively to address the threats, risks and vulnerabilities in this sector? The actual output of the Group Project is a PowerPoint (or Prezi or Google Docs) presentation for the President. ________________________________________ CONTENT ———8 SLIDES PRESENTATION——- Your presentation might address the following for the U.S. water and wastewater systems: 1. Are there lessons to be learned from the BP Oil spill that should drive changes to the updated version of the SSP currently underway? 2.Does the SSP need better linkages to the other SSPs? 3.Provide specific recommendations to the President for actions to improve the security posture of the U.S.