HOW EFFECTIVELY IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
ASSISTING STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
IN PREPARING FOR A BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL
OR NUCLEAR ATTACK?

HEARING JUL 182003

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY,

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON

GOVERNMENT REFORM

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

,

JULY 2, 2002

Serial No. 107-211

Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Reform

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpo.gov/congress/house
http://www.house.gov/reform

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM

DAN BURTON, Indiana, Chairman

HENRY A. WAXMAN, California

J. RUSSELL GEORGE, Staff Director and Chief Counsel
BONNIE HEALD, Deputy Staff Director
JUSTIN PAULHAMUS, Clerk

Reardon, James P., fire chief, Northbrook, IL; Raymond E. Seebald, Cap-

tain, U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Chicago, accompanied by Gail Kulish,

Commanding Officer, Atlantic Area Strike Team; Edward G. Buikema,

Regional Director, Region V, Federal Emergency Management Agency;

and JayEtta Hecker, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, U.S. Gen-

eral Accounting Office

Wilkinson, John D., chief, fire and life safety services, city of Evanston
Fire Department; Dennis L. Nilsson, commander, field operations divi-
sion, Evanston Police Department; Patrick J. Daly, Assistant Special
Agent in Charge, Chicago Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation;
Quentin Young, M.D., chair, health and medicine policy research group,
Hyde Park Associates in Medicine; John R. Lumpkin, M.D., director,
Illinois Department of Public Health; Pamela S. Diaz, M.D., director,
emergency preparedness and infectious disease control, Chicago De-
partment of Public Health, accompanied by John Wilhelm, M.D.,
missioner, Chicago Department of Public Health; Arthur B. Schneider,
M.D., professor of medicine, chief of the endocrinology section, Univer-
sity of Illinois; and David A. Kraft, director, Nuclear Energy Informa-
tion Service

com-

Letters, statements, etc., submitted for the record by:
Buikema, Edward G., Regional Director, Region V, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, prepared statement of

Page

1

60

6

77

Daly, Patrick J., Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Division,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, prepared statement of

10

Diaz, Pamela S., M.D., director, emergency preparedness and infectious
disease control, Chicago Department of Public Health, prepared state-
ment of

38

Hecker, JayEtta, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, U.S. General
Accounting Office, prepared statement of

Kraft, David A., director, Nuclear Energy Information Service, prepared

statement of

88

49

Lumpkin, John R., M.D., director, Illinois Department of Public Health,

prepared statement of

24

Reardon, James P., fire chief, Northbrook, IL, prepared statement of

64

Schneider, Arthur B., M.D., professor of medicine, chief of the endocrinol-
ogy section, University of Illinois, prepared statement of

46

Seebald, Raymond E., Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Chicago, pre-

pared statement of

68

Young, Quentin, M.D., chair, health and medicine policy research group,
Hyde Park Associates in Medicine, prepared statement of

21

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HOW EFFECTIVELY IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ASSISTING STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN PREPARING FOR A BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL OR NUCLEAR ATTACK

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2002

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, FINANCIAL
MANAGEMENT AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS,
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM,

Chicago, IL. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:02 a.m., in room 2525, Dirksen Federal Building, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL, Hon. Steve Horn (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Representatives Horn, Schakowsky, Biggert and Kirk. Staff present: J. Russell George, staff director and chief counsel; Bonnie Heald, deputy staff director; Justin Paulhamus, clerk; Chris Barkley, staff assistant; Michael Sazonov, Sterling Bentley, Joe DiSilvio, and Yigal Kerszenbaum, interns.

Mr. HORN. A quorum being present, this hearing of the Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernmental Relations will come to order.

On September 11, 2001, the world witnessed the most devastating attacks ever committed on U.S. soil. Despite the damage and enormous loss of life, the attacks failed to cripple this Nation. To the contrary, Americans have never been more united in their fundamental belief in freedom and their willingness to protect that freedom. The diabolical nature of those attacks and then the deadly release of Anthrax sent a loud and clear message to all Americans: We must be prepared for the unexpected. We must have the mechanisms in place to protect this Nation and this people from further attempts to cause massive destruction.

The aftermath of September 11th clearly demonstrated the need for adequate communications systems and rapid deployment of well-trained emergency personnel. Yet, despite billions of dollars which Congress has produced in spending on Federal emergency programs, there remains serious doubts as to whether the Nation is equipped to handle a massive chemical, biological or nuclear attack.

Today, the subcommittee will examine how effectively Federal, State and local agencies are working together to prepare for such emergencies. We want those who live in the great State of Illinois

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