Advantage SCI and Counterterrorism Expert Elsa Lee Discusses the nation's only Homeland Security Study on threats to the rail system one
year after it's published.
El Segundo, CA (PRWEB) September 23, 2004 -- If someone looks suspicious in your neighborhood or at work you should not assume necessarily that they belong there," said Counterterrorism Expert Elsa Lee, CEO of Advantage SCI, El Segundo. You should be more inclined to ask questions. A gesture as simple as asking ‘may I help you can deter a person, who might be ready to do something that is going to hurt everyone."
Lee, who contributed to the nations only Homeland Security Study on threats to our rail system and goods movement believes freight and passenger transportation nationwide is more secure one year later, but we still have a long way to go.
The threat of terrorism is real on strategic rail corridors with passenger and freight rail service and we believe that Al Qaeda's apparent interest in rail attacks should not be ignored," said Lee, who contributed to a-new-one-of-a-kind Homeland Security report released one year ago this month (Sept. 11, 2003) entitled: OnTrac Trade Impact Study: National Economic Significance of Rail Capacity and Homeland Security on the Alameda Corridor East." (http://www.laedc.info/data/pdf/ontrac_economic_impact_homeland_security_exec_sum.pdf)
The study was commissioned and published in cooperation with the Orange North-American Trade Rail Access Corridor (OnTrac) Joint Powers Authority and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). The report was completed as part of the environmental review process for the Alameda Corridor East strategic rail system that goes through Placentia, California. Shortly after the deadly Spain Train Bombings last March, Congress expressed renewed interest in the LAEDC Homeland Security Study, which was reviewed by the Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, CA.
Events change by the minute, so people should increase their awareness and if they see anything suspicious at a railroad crossing, on a commuter bus, at a train station or school yard know exactly where theyre going to report it," said Lee, founder of Advantage SCI (www.advantagesci.com), El Segundo, CA, which provides security consulting, training, and e-learning to protect people and corporate assets from sabotage, espionage, cyber attacks, and terrorism.
For a copy of the Homeland Security Study on threats to the rail system contact:
PR@MayoCommunications.com or visit: www.Laedc.org.
Highlights of the Homeland Security
Study Commissioned by: Orange North-American Trade Rail Access Corridor (OnTrac)
•The OnTrac LAEDC Study shows Terrorism is a real threat on our on nations Rail Corridors
•A 10-day shutdown of the Alameda Corridor East, as a result of a terrorist attack, would be like the economic impact of the West Coast ports shutdown last October. A 30 Day shutdown would amount to more than $4 billion.
•Disruption cost of shutting down the Alameda Corridor East amounts to $414 million each day that it is shut down.
•The D-of-D has designated the rail lines out of the Southland as strategically critical national assets due to moving of heavy military equipment. The study concludes that at least 30 percent of Customs revenue should be dedicated each year to strategic rail corridors across the country. Right now nothing is reinvested.
•The study suggests adding rail capacity and addressing the security of the national rail system, specifically the Alameda Corridor East is vital not only for Los Angeles, but for cities like Chicago, New York, Las Vegas and Houston.
•Local efforts to deter and respond to terrorist attacks should be a serious effort by communities along the Alameda Corridor East. Those cities should become part of the federal, state and local funding cycles like airlines, transit and highway monies.
•The study suggests that California has become the nation's primary gateway for two-way international trade. Communities along the Alameda Corridor East need to adopt security measures and the mindset that the federal government has had for years in protecting our national security.
•The data from the OnTrac study should be used to evaluate the allocation of Homeland Security funds, because funding rail projects like the Alameda Corridor East is a vital to our nations interest.
•OnTrac is urging Congress to establish a new section of the Federal-aid Highway Program to fund goods movement projects of national economic significance.
•Southern California has become the nation's primary gateway for two-way international trade. The Alameda Corridor East rail lines moved about $116 billion worth of goods in 2000 alone.
OnTrac - is Orange North-American Trade Rail Access Corridor (OnTrac) Joint Powers Authority Southern California's gateways are the entry way for so much of what moves the U.S. economy, and what fuels our modern way of living, but less known are the impacts of these gateways, and the related rail corridors in sending products overseas.
The combined impact of trade through the region's system is impressive: four states alone - Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Texas - trade a total of more than $50 billion worth of international goods through Southern California ports and rail trade corridor network.
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