SPECIAL FEATURE

 Hazmat hauliers put on high alert

Transporters of hazardous materials in the USA have been put on maximum alert in terms of being extra cautious and vigilant in the lookout for suspicious activity in their operations.

This follows a Transportation Information Security Report issued by the Department of Transportation's Office of Security and Intelligence pertaining to heightened security for weapons of mass destruction. According to officials, numerous terrorists threats had been reported after the September 11th attack which could include the potential use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons of mass destruction. 

Fueling the concerns is that a man said to be linked to an associate of Osama bin Laden was - at the time of writing - being sought by the FBI for questioning in connection with the September 11th terrorist attacks. This man, Nabil Al-Marabh, had a commercial vehicle driver's licence with an 'endorsement' allowing him to transport hazardous materials.

According to press reports, the FBI arrested three men at a house with Al-Marabh's name on the mailbox. Two of them also held commercial drivers licenses with hazmat endorsements.

Given all this, the FBI asked that "representatives at recipient facilities, particularly those that manufacture, distribute, transport or store hazardous chemicals should be especially vigilant" and urged that any unusual activity, including threats, unusual purchases, suspicious behaviour by employees or customer should be reported to the local FBI field office.

Following these warnings, it was reported that Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration personnel throughout the USA had begun visiting trucking companies that haul hazardous materials in an effort to increase security awareness.

Back to Special Feature's Menu