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CHAPTER 1
Introduction
In recent years, new concerns have arisen about the vulnerability of U.S. agriculture to the delib-
erate introduction of foreign animal and plant diseases, referred to as agroterrorism. Several of the
national planning scenarios outlined in the Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-8,
National Preparedness (1), call on transportation agencies to prepare for their roles in the National
Incident Management System (NIMS), (2) which provides "a consistent nationwide approach for
federal, state, tribal, and local governments to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for,
prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity."
Responding to agroterrorism or other natural or accidental biological outbreaks of foreign
animal or plant diseases, collectively referred to as "agricultural emergencies" for the purpose of
this guide, could require immediate isolation and/or quarantine of potentially infected areas.
Research indicates that the economic impact of the outbreak is a function of the time it takes to
enforce quarantine and eradicate or control the infection. Therefore, it is essential that local
responders have the tools and resources needed to implement a response within the first few
hours of notification. In the event of an animal disease outbreak, a quarantine boundary may
enclose an area with a 3- to 6-mi (5- to 10-km) radius that could cross more than 30 roads and
could be enforced for several months. While federal support for longer-term assistance may
arrive in a few days, containment of the disease agent requires an effective, complete, and locally
implemented response within hours.
The purpose of quarantines is to isolate a disease and to stop the spread of the organisms that
cause the disease. Citizens of rural counties are accustomed to free movement, full access, and
unrestricted freight movement; however, in a foreign animal or plant disease emergency, biose-
curity must take precedence over normal rural transportation needs. The area to be quarantined
will be determined based on the disease, the local environment, and the location of other sus-
ceptible plants or animals. Other conditions such as weather, wind direction, and the methods
that are available to combat the disease's spread will be considered as well.
Rural law enforcement agencies are unlikely to have the ability to control vehicle movement
at all of the entrances and exits around a quarantine boundary at one time, and rural public
works departments or local DOT offices will most likely only have enough signs and barricades
on-hand to detour one or two roads in a county. Thus, more innovative methods are needed that
can be implemented in partnership with law enforcement, military (Active, Reserve, and Guard),
the private sector, transportation agencies, and other organizations at the local and state levels.
1.1 History of Agroterrorism in the United States
While the United States has experienced intentional attacks on its food supply, such as
the intentional placement of salmonella in salad bars in Oregon in 1984, all of the incidents
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