Ecoterror: Rethinking Environmental Security after September 11

the more chilling stories to emerge after September 11, 2001, is that of Danny Whitener, a Tennessee salvage-car dealer. According to Whitener, a man calling himself "Mo" landed his small plane at Copperhill airport in March 2001 and began asking questions about a nearby chemical plant. As Whitener recounted to federal investigators, the stranger wanted to know "What kind of chemicals are in those massive storage tanks? "Whitener informed the pilot he thought the tanks were empty. The tanks actually contained as much as 250 tons of sulfur dioxide, an amount that if released would be sufficient to harm as many as 60,000 people, according to worst-case estimates developed by the plant. Whitener and at least two other witnesses believe the stranger in Tennessee that day was none other than Mohamed Atta, a key suspect in the strikes that felled the World Trade Center. The attacks of September 11, coupled with subsequent anthrax incidents, have deeply undermined America's sense of security. The threat of a terrorist group using chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons now seems far less remote than it did before, as does the prospect of an act of sabotage at a major industrial facility. The events of the last few months and President Bush's declaration of a war on terror have fundamentally altered the risk calculus, resulting in a reexamination of our safety against such threats. The newly created Office of Homeland Security will focus attention on this area, as will Congress, as evidenced by legislation such as the Chemical Security Act of 2001, S.1602, introduced in the Senate. State antiterrorism legislation has also been introduced placing new restrictions on hazardous materials transportation. The sense of danger is acute.