Opinion ID: 622359
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Direct Attack Resulting in Loss of Containment

Text: The DOE considered various possible modes of direct terrorist attack on the LLNL facility, including a suicidal plane crash or an explosive device delivered by vehicle or on foot. In considering the impact of this type of threat, the DOE used the centrifuge scenario to determine the bounded or outer limits of any release, and then analyzed factors which could mitigate such a release. The DOE concluded that the outer bounds of dispersion in a terrorist attack would be the same as those of the catastrophic release scenario used in the original EA. The centrifuge model analysis supported a finding of no significance for terrorist threat based upon a direct attack on the LLNL BSL-3 facility. To further validate its findings using the centrifuge model, [2] the DOE also considered several factors that would further limit the consequences of a direct terrorist attack. Specifically, (1) very limited quantities of biological agents are generally in use at LLNL BSL-3, (2) a fire resulting from an airplane crash or explosive device would likely kill many pathogens quickly; and (3) in the unlikely event of bioagent release, microorganisms would generally be rendered innocuous by exposure to generally occurring environmental conditions. The DOE concluded that these factors in the aggregate would substantially reduce the number of pathogens released and capable of human infection, as the result of a direct attack. It also concluded that the impact of a facility breach caused by a direct terrorist act would be no greater than the impacts addressed in the Army's catastrophic release scenario analyzed in the initial EA.