Infrastructure protection

France is jumpy about threat to rail transportation
French police increase security on trains in northeast after tip on terror threat
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U.S. old infrastructure offers opportunities for investors
Much of America’s aging infrastructure needs replacing, rebuilding, or rehabilitating; this offers opportunities to infrastructure fund managers, especially in the power-generation sector
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Bridge collapse shows post-WWII engineering aproach to be wrong
Engineers on the Brooklyn Bridge (opened in 1883) did not have sophisticated methods to calculate loads, so they made their best guess — and then multiplied; in the aftermath of WWII engineers believed they could save on materials by accurately predicting traffic pattenrs and loads; Minnesota bridge collapse shows that approach to be wrong
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Terrorism spread in Mexico
Two weeks ago the EOR guerrillas bombed oil and natural gas pipelines, exhibiting intimate knowledge of the delivery infrastructure and its emergency backup procedure; this week the groups bombed a Sears Robuck store, vowing to continue a campaign against “the interests of the national and foreign oligarchy.”
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New technology allow earlier detection of sturctural vulnerabilities
ASI offers detailed visual simulation solution which would allow building owners, designers, architects, engineers, insurance underwriters, and security experts see what will happen to a structure before a disaster strikes
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Oil tanks on ships to be located inside double hull
IMO’s rule goes into effect Tuesday: It requires oil fuel tanks on ships to be located inside a double hull to help prevent spillages of oil fuel in case of collision, grounding, or terorist act
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Engineers look for causes of bridge collapse
Engineering experts puzzled by catastrophic collapse of Minneapolis bridge; may have been the result of a “prefect storm,” in which several causes combined
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DHS issues security guidelines for U.S. power infrastructure operators
Growing fears of physical and cyber attacks on U.S. power infrastructure lead DHS to issue detailed protection plans against for industry
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Homeland security legislation to affect water sector
Increasing security of transportation of dangerous chemicals, changing the formula governing the distribution of homeland security grants to states, and other clauses in homeland security bill will affect water sector
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U.K. unveils broad counterterrorism measures
Prime Minister Gordon Brown unvelis broad counter-terrorism measures, including unified border police, electronic exit controls at U.K. borders, biometric visas, better critical infrastructure protection, and more
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Mexican guerrillas who hit oil, gas pipelines had inside knowledge
Cause for worry: Bombers of crude oil and natural gas pipelines in Mexico had detailed knowledge of vulnerable energy installation — and of mitigation procedures, too
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Russia continues go-slow policy on Iran's Bushehr reactor
There are many reasons to criticize Russia, but close examination shows that its behavior on the issue of helping Iran’s nuclear effort has been more responsible and nuanced than surface impressions would allow
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Brits worried about critical infrastructure protection
Swaths of Britain are under water, with hundreds of thousands without power; some worry that the UK is not doing enough to proetct criticalinfrastructure
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DHS has spent $2 billion on private sector for critical infrastructure
Some 85 percent of U.S. critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, and since 2003 DHS has provided nearly $2 billion for risk-based grants to protect private-sector critical infrastructure; $445 million have been given this year already
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Vortex's water purification technology potentially disruptive
DHS has identified chlorine gas as a top twenty domestic terrorist threat; most countries depend on chlorine as a primary water treatment disinfectant; Vortex offers an alternative
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