In the U.S., the Committee on Assessing Vulnerabilities Related to the Nation’s Chemical Infrastructure was convened by the National Academies to respond to a request from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). The directorate sought assistance in making research, development, and technology investments that would help secure the nation’s chemical infrastructure and safeguard against the consequences of a terrorist attack on that infrastructure.

The focus was on securing the nation’s infrastructure and economy against terrorist attack and other catastrophic loss by examining the chemical supply chain to identify key chemicals and chemical processes whose disruption could result in catastrophic levels of casualties or catastrophic economic damage. Specifically, this review considers:

• Major vulnerabilities and points of weakness in the chemical supply chain that could lead to catastrophic consequences;
• The likely impact of a significant disruption in the supply of these chemicals and processes;
• Actions (procedures, policies, technology deployment) to help prevent disruption in the supply of these chemicals and processes, and to mitigate loss and injury should such disruption occur;
• Incentives and disincentives that affect private sector decisions to take preventive and mitigating actions; and
• Areas of scientific, engineering, and economic research and development that might advance the nation’s capability to protect against such losses and minimize their impact.

Although the subject of the research was a specific country and the results may not fully apply to many of the Forum members, I believe that there is useful information in this book and I hope you will find it useful.

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