Acts of Sabotage Involving High Voltage Transmission Towers

[GalvestonDuck]

DHS Information Bulletin
Acts of Sabotage Involving High Voltage Transmission Towers

30 October 2003

ATTENTION: North American electric power Physical Security Officers,
Facility Managers, Transmission service providers, the U.S. Department of
Energy, U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Canadian electric power authorities, State Homeland Security Advisors

OVERVIEW

Several incidents involving the removal of support bolts at the base of
electric high-power transmission towers have been reported on the West
Coast, between Oregon and California. Although not confirmed at this time, due to the common modus operandi and Pacific Northwest locations of these events, the sabotage may be the work of a single individual or group.

DETAILS

At approximately 3:00 pm PDT, on 20 October, 2003, a Pacific Corps
dispatcher reported that an individual was observed by a power plant
employee in the act of removing bolts from the leg of a Portland Gas and
Electric Co-Generation plant 500kv transmission tower located in Klamath
County, Oregon along the California-Oregon border. This line comes out of a main inter-tie at the Captain Jack substation. A large ratchet wrench was used to loosen seven of the eleven bolts, and the tower did not collapse. The subject fled in a pickup truck after being spotted.

At approximately 5:35 pm PDT, on 20 October, an individual was spotted
removing tower bolts on the Cottonwood Airport 230kv line, North of
Sacramento, California. The individual fled in a pickup truck after being
spotted.

On 22 October, Oregon State Police reported bolts missing from a significant high power tower in Wasco, Oregon supporting the Pacific DC inter-tie that serves as a major corridor for shipping power from the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles, California.

On 23 October, the Electricity Sector - Information Sharing & Analysis
Center (ES-ISAC) reported that two 500kv transmission towers near the
Columbia River in Oregon had bolts removed from one of their legs.

There are other unconfirmed reports of possible sabotage to transmission
towers, which are currently under investigation by the FBI and local
authorities. The FBI recently issued an arrest warrant for an individual
with an extensive criminal record who is suspected of being involved in
these acts of sabotage. Currently, we have no indication that these
incidents have any terrorism nexus.

The ES-ISAC has submitted several reports involving the incidents, and has held several industry conference calls to alert officials of the developing incidents.

Additionally, the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), the federal
agency that manages a portion of the Western area power grid, has increased security and awareness of its employees. Due to the quick action of Western power companies in replacing missing bolts and making other repairs, there does not appear to be a risk of power outages occurring as a result of these acts of sabotage.

SUGGESTED PROTECTIVE MEASURES

An ISAC Bulletin sent out via email on 21 October 2003 14:44 has suggested:

· an increase in local utilities industry awareness,

· an increase in ground patrols,

· peening or tack welding the bolts to the legs of the transmission
towers.

In addition to these measures, DHS suggests that the following protective
measures be considered:

a. Transmission providers coordinate with their local law enforcement
officials concerning high voltage tower assets

b. Increased aerial surveillance be undertaken as a means of deterrence

DHS encourages recipients of this Information Bulletin to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to local law enforcement, local
FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force or the Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC). The HSOC may be contacted at: Phone: (202) 282-8101
DHS intends to update this advisory should it receive additional relevant
information, including information provided to it by the user community.

Based on this notification, no change to the Homeland Security Advisory
System (HSAS) level is anticipated; the current HSAS level is YELLOW.

[Lindaloo]

Did you check snopes on this one?

[GalvestonDuck]

Nope, but I got it from CrisisAlertNet from a guy whose email addy ends with nyc.gov and he forwarded it from someone at ucia.gov.

The nyc.gov guy who sent it to the CrisisAlertNet group has always been reliable with his info. I'd be more inclined to believe (yet still careful about) something from .gov guys anyway.

[Lindaloo]

OH?!!! Then I certainly do not like what I just read. Keep us posted on this one Shawn. YIKES!!

[JetMaxx]

What I wonder is who? Al Quada terrorists, or some home grown idiots? It is certainly worrysome....I have family in Oregon and California

[stormchazer]

Worls full of wackos!!

[Pro-Storm]

Very serious (extreme) penalties are in order here. P.S.>>>It would help to tack weld these structural bolts to the anchor after satisfying all torque requirments

[azsnowman]

It's in California, GOTTA be those idiots of "ELF!" These are some down right DANGEROUS, WACKO, enviro"mental" fruit loops!

Dennis

[opera ghost]

It's in California, GOTTA be those idiots of "ELF!" These are some down right DANGEROUS, WACKO, enviro"mental" fruit loops!

Dennis

I dont' knwo anything about ELF- but my first thought was... "Enviromental Loops of Fruit?" after reading your post. I thought that's what they WERE until I reread because it just didn't seem right....

[GalvestonDuck]

ELF = Environmental Liberation Front. They're they ones who torched a bunch of SUV's at dealerships and spraypainted graffiti at those same sites.

Seems to me if someone is so concerned about the environment, they're not going to use aerosol cans and start unnecessary fires to get their point across.

[wx247]

ELF = Environmental Liberation Front. They're they ones who torched a bunch of SUV's at dealerships and spraypainted graffiti at those same sites.

Seems to me if someone is so concerned about the environment, they're not going to use aerosol cans and start unnecessary fires to get their point across.

Very good point.

[BEER980]

Yea it's true. I read about it last week I think. I thought there was a thread on it but maybe I am delierious. I should have started one I guess. Here is the info that I had:

Fed Source Confirms Terrorist Being Tracked in Pacific Northwest US

22 October 2003; 2000 EDT-- Network director Douglas Hagmann obtained reliable information from a federal field investigator that at least one suspected terrorist is currently under surveillance and their movements and activities are being tracked in the Pacific Northwest US -- specifically in the state of Oregon. The suspected terrorist is believed to have the electrical power grid as their target, according to the source close to the investigation*.

Updated 23 October 2003; 0210 EDT-- Direct contact with a federal source on-scene provided information that a suspected terrorists was stopped while "in the process" of attempting to "sabotage a power substation" - one that could in theory, disrupt power for a large part of the Pacific Northwest. This Network has also received INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION from a source within the power company that maintains that substation. The disposition of the suspects is unknown at this time*.

Updated 23 October 2003; 1145 EDT: "Law enforcement is currently in hot pursuit of a gray haired, lone older man with a murder and explosives background. He is evading law officers on a motorcycle in remote areas of OR. Authorities have found several towers with all bolts removed in OR. This is separate and distinct from the CA story. Developing. ." Source: Steve Quayle web site.

Analyst Notation: Please note that multiple sources have independently confirmed this breaking development, and further speculated that this individual could be associated with the ELF (Earth Liberation Front). The possibility that the Oregon and California situations might be related, although are completely different incidents, cannot be overlooked. *Edited in light of updated intelliegence.

[rainstorm]

sounds like the work of eco-nazis

[BEER980]

Ooops just found another tower incident.

(10-29) 14:04 PST SACRAMENTO (AP) --

Missing bolts from a high-voltage electricity tower in Sacramento had been removed, a spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday.

The incident comes after a handful of similar events in Northern California and Oregon since Oct. 20, when witnesses chased a man from the base of a tower in Redding.

The prior incidents have caught the attention of the Department of Homeland Security, which last week issued a bulletin to power industry and government officials warning of the bolt removals.

FBI spokeswoman Karen Ernst said the FBI received a call Monday and after investigating, discovered that bolts had been removed from a transmission tower in Sacramento.

Ernst wouldn't say if the Sacramento incident or any of the others were related, but said the FBI was aware of the incident and was investigating it.

"We're not releasing anything saying they're all connected," said Ernst. "Our main concern is locating the individual we have the arrest warrant for."

A federal arrest warrant was issued last Thursday for Michael Devlyn Poulin, 62. It charges him with destroying an energy facility, which carries up to a 20-year prison sentence.

Poulin has only been charged with the Redding incident, but he is also "wanted for questioning" in connection with the Oregon cases, Portland FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele said last week.

Bolts were loosened or removed last week from the legs of transmission towers in at least four locations: Madras, McNary, and Klamath Falls in Oregon and Anderson in northern California.

The Department of Homeland Security bulletin reported that the federal agency that manages a section of the west's power grid has increased security. It also suggested power companies take protective measures by assigning more ground patrols and welding bolts to the legs of transmission towers.

The bulletin says currently there is no indication the incidents are linked to terrorism.