USDA's role in Homeland Defense/Security - Homeland Security

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been protecting the nation's food supply for nearly a century but now faces the challenge of new threats after the events of 11 September 2001. Now, more than ever, the USDA's role has increased, with the formation of a Homeland Security Council within its structure, to work in partnership with the Office of Homeland Security, the National Security Council, and other departments to successfully fulfill this challenge. These new biosecurity challenges have placed the USDA in the position to re-evaluate its standard duties and to create new efforts focusing on the challenge. Three key areas define these efforts: loud supply and agriculture production, USDA facilities, and USDA staff and emergency preparedness. With a budget of $380 million for year 2003, the USDA has become an essential part of the nation's homeland security.

USDA HOMELAND SECURITY COUNCIL

The new USDA Homeland Security Council is responsible for establishing overall USDA homeland security policies, coordinating department-wide homeland security issues, tracking USDA progress on homeland security objectives, appointing a representative to interagency or other external groups. Other federal agencies are provided with information, research, and resources obtained from the Council's shared services.

PROTECTING FOOD AND AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION

USDA procedures have increased by 50 percent since the beginning of the new millennium to enhance prevention efforts in keeping foreign agricultural pests and diseases from entering the United States. The USDA has increased its security at all food safety laboratories and increased testing for additional hazards and biological agents.

"A product comes into an I-House [Inspection House[ and is checked for product tampering and microbiological sampling" says Matt Baun, spokesperson for USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Survey. "The I-Houses are located at major ports, and 75 to 120 inspectors are involved in the 24-7 process of ensuring the safety of food products."

The Offices of Food Security and Emergency Preparedness were established by the USDA to coordinate activities to prevent and, if necessary, coordinate a response to an intentional attack on the food supply. USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued complementary regulations establishing new safeguards for the control of select agents that could pose a threat, in accordance with the Agriculture Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002.

The USDA has incorporated such prevention methods as developing guidance documents for distribution to farmers and ranchers to help remind them of steps they can take to secure their operations. These food security documents cover meat, poultry and egg product processing plant, plus information on biosecurity and the food supply.

USDA provided $43 million to states, universities and tribal lands to increase homeland security prevention, detection and response efforts.

The USDA has developed the National Animal Health Reserve Corps to mobilize close to 300 private veterinarians from around the United States to assist locally during an emergency.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has also taken unique steps in the fight for prevention of foreign animal/pest and diseases coming in through U.S. airports, seaports, and land borders.

"A 'beagle brigade' has been created, using dogs that are trained to walk around airport terminals to sniff out any suspicious food, such as an apple or meat products that may be inside someone's carrying luggage" explains Hallie Pickhardt, a spokesperson for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. "The dogs will sit beside the luggage or person, cueing handlers to inspect the bag:'

Finally, 18 new veterinarians have been added to the agriculture quarantine inspection staff at borders, ports of entry, and on farms, along with a 2,600-member border inspection force that has been transferred to the DHS.

Training of inspectors and continuation of setting new policies will still be a priority for the USDA and the DHS.

USDA FACILITIES AND STAFF

The USDA has developed department policies for sponsorship of non citizen visiting scientists, including a tracking system for all foreign visitors to USDA facilities. Background checks on non-citizen scientists who visit facilities are also becoming a new standard.

Since 11 September 2001, the USDA has bolstered its staff to 7,600 inspectors and has developed processes with which other countries must comply.

"We have a system in this country that is science-based," says Baun. "All countries that are exporting their food goods to us have to prove that their systems are up to-date and up-to-par with our system of inspection."

The USDA is spending $21.7 million for physical security upgrades at laboratory facilities for security assessments, background investigations, and additional security personnel at facilities. Positions at USDA labs are being examined for personnel reliability clear

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE

Being prepared and responding immediately to threats or situations are of prime importance in the world today:

On 28 February 2003, President Bush signed Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, which established a single, comprehensive approach to domestic incident management. With that, the USDA developed additional security procedures for use when the threat of terrorist attacks increases, as determined by the Homeland Security Advisory System.

Today, a department-wide National Interagency Incident Management System is being implemented. The system includes command and control systems, coordination systems, training and qualification systems and publication management systems.

The biggest challenge that the USDA faces is in recognizing weaknesses in the check system that can be used to a potential threats benefit.

"There's vulnerability along the 'farm to table' continuum" says Baun. "Our biggest challenge is to ensure that those vulnerabilities are not exploited"

With all of these efforts, the role of the USDA has changed dramatically to help in the security of the nation's preparedness against the threat of terrorism. Its involvement has become an integral part of the nation's homeland security program.

Mr. James is the assistant editor of The Officer.

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