DEP Invoice or Financial Record, September 30, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Scientists: Water supply unlikely terrorist target ALBANY (AP) — Slipping ronmental Conservation in something into our waterways Albany. I may be the least effective way to Most cities use chlorine to kin large numbers of people — clean water before it flows making it an improbable target through residents’ sinks, which for terrorists, according to the would “kill off or tremendously director of a center that studies weaken” biological agents, bioterrorism. Evans said. “It would require such a And most chemical contami- tremendous amount to be effeo- nants can be detected throng five, a watershed would not be sight or smell, said Riverkeeper my first choice,” said Greg Drama Lisenby with the Cataw- Evans, director of the Center for ba River Foundation based in the Study of Bioterrorism and Chaiiotte, N.C. Emerging Diseases at St Louis Besides, Evans said, public University. systems move vast amounts of The center is funded by tbe water each day. Unless a terror- federal Centers for Disease Coiv ist could dung) large quantities I trol and Prevention. at a time, the dilution would foil As a precaution after the plans for immediate mass Sept 11 terrorist attacks in New destruction. York, VirgiTiia and Pennsjiva- Lisenby said limiting access to nia, the New York City Depart- the public’s drinking water may ment of Environmental Protec- be the easiest and best way to tion has closed its reservoirs guard against terrorist attacks. indefinitely to all fishing, hiking Elements such as plutonium and boati^ and blocked access — which could go unchecked to some roads, including those through treatment systems — at the Ashokan Reservoir. would not kill people outright. The city has also hired more But it would contaminate the enforcement officers and water supply and make the increased monitoring of its whole system useless, leaving 1,970 square miles of water, said cities without running water. Jennifer Post, spokeswoman for “Those are weapons against the state Department of Envi- economics,” Evans said.

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