Drill Tests Emergency Response to Smuggled Dirty Bomb on Rails

In the wake of a scathing Government Accountability Office (GAO) report calling attention to the unsecured border between the US and Canada, federal and state officials in Montana have tested their ability to respond to attempts by terrorists to smuggle a dirty bomb into the US by rail.

In an article on the U.S. Rail News website, Tom Ramstack says dirty bombs on trains are one of the scenarios that terrorists could use, according to federal security agencies.

The GAO report found that the border between the two countries offers “a multitude of opportunities for clandestine and undocumented crossings” by terrorists.

Ramstack says law enforcement agents from eight Canadian agencies, seven U.S. federal agencies, seven state agencies and the Montana National Guard participated in the drill at the Sweetgrass, Montana, Port of Entry.

The drill began with a simulated chlorine gas explosion. National Guardsmen then put on chemical suits and set up a command post south of the Port of Entry. Team members worked to test the site for contaminants and re-establish communications.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.usrailnews.com/view_article.asp?artID=7247