DEP Press Advisory on Deer Hunting Cancellation, October 2, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Terror in the Air: Assessing the Dangers The General Accounting Office, Congress's investigative arm. issued a report in 1999 evaluating the chances of terrorist attacks with chemical and biological weapons. These were its conclusions about 10 selected agents.

CHEMICAL

EASE PERSISTENCE OF MANUFACTURE IN THE ENVIRON- LETHAL OBSERVATIONS MENT^TABILITY EFFECTS CHOKING AGENTS -------------- ----------- Chlorine Industrial product. Not persistent Low Likely agent; widely available Does not require a commercially. “precursor" chemical. Phosgene Industrial product. No Not persistent Low Likely. Widely available precursor required. commercially.

NERVE POISONS

Tabun Precursors available. Relatively easy to Moderate High Likely because of ease of manufacture. 1 manufacture.

Sarin Moderately difficult. Not persistent High Likely, although restrictions on Precursor chemical is precursors could create regulated by inter­ difficulties for production. Used national agreement. in the 1995 Tokyo subway attack.

vx Difficult to manufac­ High Very Not likely because of ture. Precursor is regu­ high manufacturing problems. lated.

BLOOD POISONS r Likely, although precursor Hydrogen Industrial product. Very low Low to cyanide Precursor is regulated. ; moderate availability may be a problem.

Cyanogen Not easily produced. Low Low to Likely, although precursor chloride Available as a moderate availability may be a problem. commercial product.

BIOLOGICAL

BACTERIAL AGENTS

Inhalation Virulent stock is hard to j Spores are very Very high Possible, but requires 'I anthrax obtain and process. ; stable. Resistant sophistication to manufacture i to sun, heat and and disseminate. 1 some disinfec- ; tants. VIRUSES

Hem­ Very difficult to obtain Relatively Depending ' Unlikely 1 orrhagic and process. Unsafe to unstable on strain, fevers handle. can be (Ebola) very high.

Smallpox Difficult to obtain Very stable Moderate Questionable because of seed stock and to to high limited availability. But process. Only con­ consequences of an attack are firmed sources are in deemed especially serious. the U.S. and Russia.

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