When we think about the critical infrastructure and assets in our nation that should be protected against a terrorist attack, we tend not to think of a groundhog zoo, a sporting goods store, or a donut shop. Yet, a recently released Inspector General report shows that these are examples of national assets that are included in the Department of Homeland Security’s “National Asset Database (NADB).”
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for compiling a national database, or catalog, of key assets and critical infrastructure throughout the United States. The purpose of this database is to support broader efforts to develop a national risk profile that would help us determine where our greatest vulnerabilities lie and what should be done to protect these assets.
We cannot protect everything everywhere, which is why it is critical to have a reliable and up-to-date list of our national assets.
In the process of compiling the NADB, the Department of Homeland Security asked states to provide information about key assets that, if attacked, would result in a catastrophic loss of life and/or a catastrophic economic loss. For example, according to the report conducted by the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the database includes 4,055 malls and shopping centers, 224 racetracks, 539 theme or amusement parks, 514 religious meeting places, 4,164 educational facilities, 1,305 casinos, 130 libraries, 335 petroleum pipelines, 140 defense industrial base assets, 224 national monuments and icons, and 8 wind power plants.
Some of the specific assets listed in the database, according to the IG, call into question the reliability of the entire NADB. For example, car dealerships, a kennel club and poker room, an insect zoo, the Sweetwater, Oklahoma Flea Market, and a donut shop all are listed as key assets on the NADB.
The IG also found inconsistencies in the type of assets and information provided by states. Indiana lists 8,591 assets in the NADB, more than any other state and fifty percent more than New York. Meanwhile, Vermont listed 70 assets while Wisconsin listed 7,146, one hundred times as many. Washington State listed 65 national monuments and icons, while our nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C. listed only 37, and New York listed only two percent of the nation’s banking and finance sector assets, ranking between North Dakota and Missouri.
If the Department of Homeland Security based this year’s homeland security grant allocations on factors that include a state’s key assets as listed in this national database, it is no wonder why the allocation is so flawed.
In our effort to ensure that our national assets are as safe as possible, it is critical that we provide states with adequate funding to help address their specific threats and that DHS have a reliable asset database to make critical homeland security decisions.
The Department of Homeland Security and every state should go back to the drawing board to evaluate which assets should truly be listed on the database.
As Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, I will continue to work to increase the overall dollars available for homeland funding. If we are going to become better prepared as a nation, all States must receive a predictable and reasonable base allocation of homeland funding. States need a predictable base level of funding each year to fund multi-year projects such as creating interoperable communications networks or first responder training regimes.
A groundhog zoo or donut shop should not be on the list of most vulnerable assets. It is critical we have a reliable list of critical assets that are truly vulnerable and that we provide states with sufficient dollars to help address these vulnerabilities.