South East Shipping News

Eyerdam Opinion

 

Close the Watson Island Airport Immediately

 

So the Herald headline says Miami Commission to consider Watson Island heliport, to draw tourists.

Then I go looking through the article for the most important issue. It is not there.

 Instead the Herald’s tourist reporter reports that:

Is this a terrorist attack on cruise ships?

“Miami is a beautiful city,” Commissioner Francis Suarez said. “You want to have a place where tourists can come, get in a helicopter, see the city, see the Everglades.”

 And to accomplish the snarky factor the reporter reports: “But some critics allege the city has cut a sweetheart deal with the heliport operator, and ought to collect more in rent than the amount being proposed. The contract calls for Linden to invest $1.45 million in the infrastructure, plus pay a minimum rent of $2,200 a month or a percentage of gross revenues for the first two years. The payments increase annually.”

And there is this incorrect insight: “Miami is one of a handful of major cities without a heliport. Watson Island has had a helicopter landing pad in the past, but it hasn’t been open for several years. Most helicopters end up at Opa-locka Executive Airport or Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport.”

Wonder why?

Commissioner Wilfredo “Willy” Gort said he doesn’t see any problems.

Said Commissioner Marc Sarnoff: “The good news is that the rent will increase as they build out the heliport. It’s an important asset for the city to have.”

 Ok. What is directly across from Watson Island? Why are all private boats prohibited from traveling through Government Cut when there are Cruise Ships at their berth? What happened on 9/11? What happened to the USS Cole?

 All the Commissioners and the Herald have in mind is revenue and politics.

 Meanwhile the USCG Captain of the Port has been struggling for years to close Government Cut to all aircraft landing or flying low because there is no way - NO WAY - to prevent a crazy pilot or skilled terrorist from CRASHING a seaplane or helicopter FULL of EXPLOSIVES into a CRUISE SHIP – if they are permitted to fly low and land in the area.

 Government Cut is a FAA and TSA permitted airport adjacent to a very high risk port. And the FAA, clinging to surf and turf, has refused to decommission the watery airport and end the risk of terrorist attack.

 The greatest single potential for a terrorist attack in Florida is a cruise ship owned by a family of Jewish millionaires full of indulgent, sinful capitalists floating in plain view of the Miami Herald newsroom and an NBC studio.

 Please pay attention to reality and shoot down this very risky airport scheme. We have real airports for this sort of thing.

 Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/23/2814425/miami-commission-to-consider-watson.html#storylink=cpy

THIS JUST IN FROM FEMA/DHS - the top terrorists threats"

National Prevention Framework 4 Working Draft—Pre-Decisional

Risk Basis 123

The Secretary of Homeland Security led an interagency effort to conduct a Strategic National Risk  Assessment (SNRA). The SNRA identifies the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the Nation, which, in turn, informs the identification of the core capabilities essential to address these risks in each of the five preparedness mission areas—Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response  and Recovery—in the National Preparedness Goal. This Framework addresses delivery of the core capabilities required to prevent the following adversarial/human-caused threats identified in the SNRA.6 130

Cyber threats identified in the SRNA are addressed in the Protection Framework.

Table 1: SNRA Adversarial/Human-caused National-level Events 131 Row	Threat Type	National-level Event Description
1	Aircraft as a Weapon	A hostile non-state actor(s) crashes a commercial or general aviation aircraft into a physical target within the United States.
2	Armed Assault	A hostile non-state actor(s) uses assault tactics to conduct strikes on vulnerable target(s) within the United States resulting in at least one fatality or injury.
3	Biological Terrorism Attack (non-food)	A hostile non-state actor(s) releases a biological agent against an outdoor, indoor, or water target, directed at a concentration of people within the United States.
4	Chemical/Biological Food Contamination Terrorism Attack	A hostile non-state actor(s) disperses a biological or chemical agent into food supplies within the U.S. supply chain.
5	Chemical Terrorism Attack (non-food)	A hostile non-state actor(s) releases a chemical agent against an outdoor, indoor, or water target, directed at a concentration of people using an aerosol, ingestion, or dermal route of exposure.
6	Explosives Terrorism Attack	A hostile non-state actor(s) deploys a man-portable improvised explosive device (IED), vehicle-borne IED, or vessel IED in the United States against a concentration of people, and/or structures such as critical commercial or government facilities, transportation targets, or critical infrastructure sites, resulting in at least one fatality or injury.
7	Nuclear Terrorism Attack	A hostile non-state actor(s) acquires an improvised nuclear weapon through manufacture from fissile material, purchase, or theft and detonates it within a major U.S. population center.

 

 

Florida's taxpayers deserve a Naval Super Ferry!

  

The two former Superferries that failed because of Jones Act costs operating among the Hawaiian Islands have been acquired by taxpayers and provided to the US Navy and renamed after Jones Act ports.

The  Alakai is now USNS Puerto Rico and the Huakai is now USNS Guam. Whoopee.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus says the high speed ferries "will be used for peacetime operations such as troop transport training, exercise missions and humanitarian and disaster relief."

The ferries are currently being modified to support military operations and to increase their endurance by installing crew berthing, sewage treatment plants and water-making equipment.

Let’s hope Congressperson Ileana Ros Lehtinen and Senator Bill Nelson jump on this opportunity to base at least one of these giant, high speed transports in Florida, either Key West or Jacksonville where they can be on hand for emergency missions in the Caribbean or, ultimately when the US government begins massive humanitarian relief to Cuba after the post Castro riots and recriminations subside.

 

Latest, that's right the latest word on cybercrime from FEM A. Check out the date!

Emergency Management and Response

Information Sharing and Analysis Center

  CIP BULLETIN 1-10 January 26, 2010

 

CIP Bulletins will be distributed as necessary to provide members of the Emergency Services Sector with timely, important, unclassified information potentially affecting the protection of their critical infrastructures. They are prepared by the Emergency Management and Response- Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) at (301) 447-1325 or by e-mail at emr-isac@dhs.gov

NOTE:

.

Cyber Security Trends for 2010

This New Year is an opportune time to assess the cyber security landscape of Emergency Services Sector departments and agencies, and prepare for new challenges that may lie ahead, as well as the current threats which may continue.

•

 

Malware, worms, and Trojan horses:

These will continue to spread by email, instant messaging, malicious websites, and infected non-malicious websites. Some websites will automatically download the malware without the user’s knowledge or intervention. This is known as a "drive-by download." Other methods will require the users to click on a link or button.

•

 

Botnets and zombies:

These threats will continue to proliferate as the attack techniques evolve and become available to a broader audience, with less technical knowledge required to launch successful attacks. Botnets designed to steal data are improving their encryption capabilities and thus becoming more difficult to detect.

•

 

Scareware – fake/rogue security software:

There are millions of different versions of malware, with hundreds more being created and used every day. This type of scam can be particularly profitable for cyber criminals, as many users believe the pop-up warnings telling them their system is infected and are lured into downloading and paying for the special software to "protect" their system.

•

 

Attacks on client-side software:

With users keeping their operating systems patched, client-side software vulnerabilities are now an increasingly popular means of attacking systems. Client-side software includes things like Internet browsers, media players, PDF readers, etc. This software will continue to have vulnerabilities and subsequently be targeted by various malwares.

•

 

Ransom attacks:

These occur when a user or company is hit by malware that encrypts their hard drives or they are hit with a Distributed Denial of Service Attack (DDOS) attack. The cyber criminals then notify the user or company that if they pay a small fee, the DDOS attack will stop or the hard drive will be unencrypted. This type of attack has existed for a number of years and is now gaining in popularity.

•

 

Social Network Attacks:

Social network attacks will be one of the major sources of attacks in 2010 because of the volume of users and the amount of personal information that is posted. Users’ inherent trust in their online friends is what makes these networks a prime target. For example, users may be prompted to follow a link on someone's page, which could bring users to a malicious website.

　

•

 

Cloud Computing:

Cloud computing is a growing trend due to its considerable cost savings opportunities for organizations. Cloud computing refers to a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than maintaining and supporting local servers. The growing use of cloud computing will make it a prime target for attack.

•

 

Web Applications:

There continues to be a large number of websites and online applications developed with inadequate security controls. These security gaps can lead to the compromise of the site and potentially to the site’s visitors.

•

 

Budget cuts:

These will be a problem for security personnel and a boon to cyber criminals. With less money to update software, hire personnel, and implement security controls, enterprises will be trying to do more with less. By not having up-to-date software, appropriate security controls or enough personnel to secure and monitor the networks, organizations will be more vulnerable.

What Can I Do?

The following are helpful tips to assist in minimizing risk:

• Properly configure and patch operating systems, browsers, and other software programs.

• Use and regularly update firewalls, anti-virus, and anti-spyware programs.

• Be cautious about all communications; think before you click.

• Use common sense when communicating with users you DO and DO NOT know.

• Do not open email or related attachments from un-trusted sources.

Additional Information

 

:

• IBM’s Top Security Trends for 2010

•

Symantec’s Top Security Trends for 2010

•

SANS Top Cyber Security Risks

•

Bankinfosecurity.com article

•

PC World

•

Panda Labs 2009 Annual Malware Report

 

The information provided in this newsletter is intended to increase the security awareness of an organization’s end users and to help them behave in a more secure manner within their work environment. While some of the tips may relate to maintaining a home computer, the increased awareness is intended to help improve the organization’s overall cyber security posture. Organizations have permission--and in fact are encouraged--to brand and redistribute this newsletter in whole for educational, non-commercial purposes.

Original Prepared by:

www.msisac.org

 

Feds file complaint, demand Miami-Dade County fix faulty sewer lines

 Perhaps the most infamous sewage rupture in recent memory occurred in 2000, when the line from Government Cut to Virginia Key was accidentally ruptured when contractors installing new boatlifts at Miami Beach Marina drilled through it. The resulting gusher of raw sewage cost $2.5 million to repair and the stinking slick closed surrounding waters for days.

 

....a recent internal report shows that three sections of 54-inch pipe under the bay, leading to the Virginia Key water treatment plant, are so brittle they could rupture at any time.....

 Get used to it, South Florida — pipes are breaking and it’s only going to get worse By

CHARLES RABIN AND CURTIS MORGAN

crabin@miamiherald.com

Miami-Dade County’s 7,500 miles of sewage lines are in such decrepit shape and rupture so frequently — sometimes spilling raw waste into waterways and Biscayne Bay — that federal environmental regulators are demanding repairs and upgrades that could cost upwards of a billion dollars.

Authorities from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice and Florida Department of Environmental Protection met Wednesday morning with leaders at County Hall to begin what figures to be a lengthy and expensive negotiation for Miami-Dade.

John Renfrow, director of Miami-Dade’s Water and Sewer Department, acknowledged the string of major ruptures that have plagued the county’s sewage system in recent years, saying the aging network is “being held together by chewing gum.” He added he has sought more money to fix the leaks for a long time.

The price tag, though still uncertain, will easily reach the hundreds of millions and could top $1 billion based on past repair projects. The massive overhaul almost certainly will mean rate hikes for hundreds of thousands of residents who have historically paid some of the lowest fees in the state.

“We would like to think there’s state and federal assistance,” said Doug Yoder, Water and Sewer deputy director for regional compliance. “But this is ultimately going to come back to rates. It will require our rates go up, either to generate cash or to pay bonds back.”

The federal complaints are sketched out in a 78-page draft consent decree claiming Miami-Dade County has violated sections of the Clean Water Act, along with terms and conditions of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. The report doesn’t detail specific failures, but said state and federal environmental protection agencies “have inspected Miami-Dade’s WCTS [wastewater collection treatment system] and WWTPs [wastewater treatment plants] and have discovered a number of improper management, operations, and maintenance practices.”

Miami-Dade has suffered at least three major sewer pipe breaks the past three years, and a recent internal report shows that three sections of 54-inch pipe under the bay, leading to the Virginia Key water treatment plant, are so brittle they could rupture at any time. Renfrow told The Miami Herald earlier this year that a break in that pipe, which carries 25 million gallons of raw sewage each day from Surfside, Miami Beach, and Bal Harbour, could be “catastrophic.”

He said it would mean “you’d have to close down the beaches and it would be an environmental mess.”

Aging sewer lines are not a problem unique to Miami-Dade. The EPA estimates there are 240,000 line breaks across the country each year as governments struggle to find revenue to repair sewage systems that in some cases are 100 years old. Fixing the nation’s sewer line ills could exceed $100 billion, the EPA noted.

Though the EPA wouldn’t comment directly on the complaint, the agency seems to be focusing on the Virginia Key line and several other pipe lines that have broken the past few years. The county’s system, built in the 1920s, last underwent major repairs in the 1970s.

The last time Miami-Dade was hit with a consent decree in 1996, it paid a $2 million fine, at the time the largest penalty paid to the EPA for Clean Water Act violations. Unlike the current decree, which is looking at old faulty pipes, the previous probe focused on the county’s lack of capacity to drain water overflows. In the 1990s, overflows and spills into the Miami River, Biscayne Bay and canals were mostly due to the system’s inability to handle big rainstorms.

Since then, the county has spent nearly $2 billion upgrading its system, from a $600 million overhaul of the water treatment facility in South Dade, to repairing more than 500 pump stations, to retrofitting thousands of homes with low-flush toilets. Water flow has been reduced by about 12 percent, or close to 100 million gallons a day.

Yet, the federal government maintains, Miami-Dade must spend billions more because over the past decade miles of aging pipeline crisscrossing the county are breaking with increasing frequency.

“The system is getting old,” said Bertha Goldenberg, the water and sewer department’s assistant director.

Adding to the worries, engineers have linked many of the worst breaks to defective pipe built by Interpace, a now-defunct company whose products were widely used in the 1970s. Now, some are failing decades earlier than expected. Over time, steel reinforcement wires inside the concrete pipes have corroded, broken and failed.

Recent breakdowns have occurred in Hialeah — where a 54-inch main break left a giant sinkhole — in Northwest Dade, where a 72-inch pipe burst and leaked almost 20 million gallons of sewage into a canal leading to Biscayne Bay, and in Miami Lakes, where a bus got stuck in a sinkhole after a 12-inch pipe broke. Fixing the system can be taxing, as groups of workers head out at night to one of the county’s 1,041 pump stations, then insert machines with mini cameras to run through the pipes in search of cracks or tears.

Perhaps the most infamous sewage rupture in recent memory occurred in 2000, when the line from Government Cut to Virginia Key was accidentally ruptured when contractors installing new boatlifts at Miami Beach Marina drilled through it. The resulting gusher of raw sewage cost $2.5 million to repair and the stinking slick closed surrounding waters for days.

 

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/02/v-fullstory/2779936/feds-file-complaint-demand-miami.html#storylink=cpy

Marsnow.info reports: NASA understating risks to Mars-bound lander

 

This was posted on Spaceweather.com April 30 and then removed

MARS-DIRECTED CME: A minor CME that left the sun during the late hours of April 28th is heading for Mars. En route, it will sweep past the Mars Science Lab spacecraft, which is carrying Curiosity to the Red Planet. According to a forecast track prepared by analysts at the GSFC, the cloud will reach the rover on May 4th. Fortunately, Curiosity is equipped to sense and study solar storms: video.

The video shows the true story. The MSL is carrying an instrument to measure some radiation on the surface of Mars. When NASA launched MSL into harms way amid the historic solar flare activity it submitted the space craft to never-before-experienced bombardment by super-hot, electrically charged plasma traveling in excess of a million-miles and hour. Note in this posting the CME – solar blow torch is called “the cloud.”

 

 

 

By Alfonso Chardy

achardy@ElNuevoHerald.com

 

Besides, it only cost $22 million and after Heat season, only downtown workers will be inconvenienced!

 

A new $22-million Port of Miami rail track for freight trains is nearly ready after nine months of construction, according to Florida East Coast Railway (FEC).

Husein Cumber, an FEC spokesman, told El Nuevo Herald during a recent tour of the project that the first train will run later this year, likely in the fourth quarter and well after basketball season ends at AmericanAirlines Arena, located next to the track at the seaport entrance.

“We will let the Miami Heat win their championship and will start after that,” said Cumber, jokingly.

FEC executives have been in close contact with arena and City of Miami officials so that the new service will have the least impact on downtown activity, mainly in the vicinity of the rail crossing next to the arena.

Cumber said there will be no train service before or after events in the arena to avoid further tying up traffic. Traffic congestion on roads around the arena increases significantly before and after events.

Initially the service would feature one train – one leaving the port with cargo and one coming back empty, said Cumber.

“We support the project, but raised concerns as to the possible impact on our stakeholders downtown,” said Javier Betancourt, deputy director of the Downtown Development Authority. “The FEC has been very good about keeping us advised on their plans and we understand the trains will be short and swift so as not to tie up traffic, particularly on Biscayne Boulevard.”

Trains will move at about 30 miles per hour and generally clear an intersection in roughly 90 seconds.

“We’re talking about a train that will go through the crossings in a typical traffic-light cycle,” said Cumber.

The 4.2-mile track runs from the port to a point near Northeast 79th Street where it connects with existing FEC tracks to Jacksonville and the Hialeah Railyard.

FEC’s main goal is to transport port cargo to Jacksonville where it can be loaded aboard trains from other railroads headed for various cities around the country. The amount and frequency of cargo eventually will dictate the trains’ schedules, said Cumber.

“So, a customer may say they want a container coming out of the Port of Miami in Atlanta or Memphis or Charlotte on a certain date at a certain time,” said Cumber. “And what we need to do is make sure the train leaves the Port of Miami in time to make a connection in Jacksonville in order to get that container to the end destination.”

Once FEC secures client commitments, Cumber said, it will draw up specific freight train itineraries.

 

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/13/2747438/freight-train-system-to-start.html#storylink=cpy

Haiti: Martelly Administration Launches Community-based Decentralization Program

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - The government of President Michel Martelly, working through the Ministry of Interior and local communities, today launched Katye Pam Pose (KPP), an innovative, community-based decentralization program.

Katye Pam Pose (KPP), which is the cornerstone of the Haitian government's National Decentralization Agenda, is focused on improving delivery of government services, as well as fostering development and job creation by promoting strong community involvement.

The overarching objectives of Katye Pam Pose are to bring decision-making closer to the citizen level; promote good governance; boost economic development and job creation; ensure the efficient delivery of public services; promote citizen safety, and accommodate the interests of diverse local interest groups.

According to Haiti's Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul, who will spearhead and coordinate the program nationwide, "Working community by community, Katye Pam Pose will guarantee access to basic social services and citizen safety to our people, which will lead to job creation and development."

Mayard-Paul explained that the launch of Katye Pam Pose will include a pilot program in 10 communities, representing all 10 departments. "That way, we can ensure that we address the specific needs of each community, under an integral and manageable framework, allowing us to make adjustments to enhance the program as it progresses," he said.

The range of actions within KPP include strengthening natural disaster mitigation efforts; improving the delivery of health, housing and education services; recover public spaces, develop local citizen initiatives and creating job opportunities in tandem with the private sector. "In the end, our goal is to improve the quality of life of the Haitian people by enabling safe and prosperous communities, right where they live," he said. "Building the capacity of citizens to manage and maintain KPP programs and infrastructure at the local level is very important to our administration, as is developing culture and sports programs. This is an ambitious decentralization program."

Broadly defined, decentralization is the process by which power and other resources are transferred from the central government to lower governmental levels, such as regions, departments, municipalities, and communal sections. This enables local entities to provide services to their communities and conduct local government tasks. According to Mayard-Paul, advocates believe that decentralization is one of the most effective ways to ensure that local governments are held accountable to the citizens they represent.

Mayard-Paul pointed out that Katye Pam Pose is a community-based program for decentralization modeled on successful experiences in other parts of the world, including Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe and the United States. "However, it's a community-based model, a new and innovative Haitian approach to decentralization," he added.

"KPP pilot program in each of the 10 selected communities will be based on an in-depth participatory needs assessment diagnosis to ensure program implementation is prioritized by community need," said Mr. Mayard-Paul.

"Assessments will determine the level of impact, the feasibility of implementing each initiative and will make it possible for us to tailor pilot programs to each specific community based on the priorities identified."

The Ministry of the Interior is also identifying and exploring national and international partnerships, that could accelerate deployment of KPP.

"The government of Haiti is committed to the success of Katye Pam Pose," said Minister Mayard-Paul. "In implementing the program, I am committed to carrying out the vision of President Martelly and his administration, driving sustainable development and job creation at the local level."

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Cruise industry adopts new safety rules after Concordia disaster

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Relatives and loved ones of victims of the Costa Concordia disaster sail to the damaged cruise ship to mark the one-month anniversary. (Enzo Russo / EPA)

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By Mary Forgione Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal blogger

February 13, 2012, 2:51 p.m.

It's been a month since the Costa Concordia struck a reef and tipped over near Italy's Giglio Island, causing the deadliest cruise ship tragedy in modern times and prompting the industry to enact new safety rules.

The cruise industry last week announced a key change in how ships conduct safety drills. Passengers  now will be informed of safety protocols and emergency evacuation procedures, known as "mandatory musters," before ships leave port. (Here's the Passenger Muster Policy.)

Current legal requirements require the drill within 24 hours of passengers boarding the ship, but cruise major lines agreed to the change after the Costa Concordia disaster Jan. 13. Of the 4,200 passengers on board, 17 died and 15 remain missing in the ship partly submerged off the Tuscan coast. 

Florida-based Cruise Lines International Assn., the European Cruise Council in Great Britain and the Passenger Shipping Assn. in Brussels agreed to the new policy and to an operational safety review that would examine safety protocols and other practices in the industry.

"The review will include a comprehensive assessment of the critical human factors and operational aspects of maritime safety," Chief Executive Christine Duffy of Cruise Lines International wrote in a Feb. 10 statement. "It will allow for cruise lines to share best practices and procedures for operational safety, consult with independent external experts and collaborate closely with the International Maritime Organization ... [and] governments and regulatory bodies to efficiently implement necessary changes."

Relatives and loved ones of Costa Concordia victims on Monday sailed out to the ship to throw roses and mark the passing of their loved ones. Also, a memorial service was held Sunday in Rome for the victims.

The ship, owned by Costa Cruises, which is part ofCarnival Corp., hit a reef after the captain allegedly made an unauthorized maneuver to navigate closer to Giglio Island. Capt. Francesco Schettino, who abandoned the ship before passengers had been evacuated, remains under house arrest and accused of manslaughter. Officials began pumping fuel from the damaged ship but have stopped searching for the missing because of unsafe conditions, according to media reports.

 Captain claims rock was not marked, a hundred yards from a lighthouse!

 

 

* Death toll rises to five, confusion about number of missing

 

* South Korean honeymooners and crewmember saved

 

* Captain arrested

 

* Passengers talk of panic and fighting for lifejackets

 

By Gavin Jones and Antonio Denti

 

GIGLIO, Italy, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Divers found the bodies of two elderly men inside a capsized cruiseliner on Sunday, bringing the known death toll from a spectacular accident off Italy's coast to five, with another 70 people injured.

 

Divers and other rescuers were painstakingly checking thousands of cabins on the Italian liner Costa Concordia for 15 people still unaccounted for after the huge vessel foundered and keeled over with more 4,229 passengers and crew on board.

 

A day after the disaster, rescuers plucked a South Korean honeymoon couple and an injured crewmember alive from the wreck, lying on its side close to the beautiful island of Giglio off Italy's west coast, after being holed by a rock on Friday night.

 

The captain of the luxury 114,500-tonne ship, Francesco Schettino, was arrested on charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship, Italian police said.

 

Searching the vast ship for survivors was like combing through a small town - but one tilted on its side, largely in darkness and partly submerged.

 

In the early afternoon, scuba divers looking for survivors instead found the bodies of two men at a gathering point in the submerged part of the ship, coastguard officials said.

 

The bodies of two French tourists and a Peruvian crew member were found on Saturday.

 

The discovery of the bodies on Sunday dampened earlier euphoria when a helicopter lifted off injured chief purser Manrico Gianpetroni, hours after rescuers made voice contact with him deep inside the stricken, multi-storey vessel.

 

Gianpetroni, who had a broken leg, was winched up from the ship on a stretcher and taken to hospital.

 

"I never lost hope of being saved. It was a 36-hour nightmare," he told reporters.

 

In the early hours of Sunday rescuers pulled out the two South Koreans from a cabin, after locating them from several decks above. They looked dazed but unharmed as they were brought ashore.

 

By Sunday afternoon, about a quarter of the part of the ship that is still above the waterline had been searched. "This is a floating city and it's very difficult," said Luca Cari, spokesman for firefighters on Giglio.

 

Passengers compared the disaster to the sinking of the Titanic, and described people leaping into the sea and fighting over lifejackets in panic when the ship hit a rock and ran aground as they sat down for dinner on Friday night.

 

The vast hulk of the 290-metre-long ship loomed over the little port of Giglio, a picturesque island in a maritime nature reserve off the Tuscan coast. A large gash was visible in its side.

 

Rescue workers including specialist diving teams faced a complex task as they worked their way through more than 2,000 cabins on the ship - a floating resort that boasted a huge spa, seven restaurants, bars, cinemas and discotheques.

 

Paolo Tronca, a local fire department official, said the search would go on "for 24 hours a day as long as we have to" and that rescue workers were using sniffer dogs in the section of the ship above water.

 

As the search continued, there were demands for explanations of why the vessel had come so close to the shore and bitter complaints about how long it took to evacuate the terrified passengers.

 

State prosecutor Francesco Verusio said investigations might go beyond the captain.

 

"We are investigating the possible responsibility of other people for such a dangerous manoeuvre," he told SkyTG24 television. "The command systems did not function as they should have."

 

He said the ship had come within 150 metres (yards) of the coast, which he called "incredibly close".

 

Agnese Stella, a 72-year-old housewife who has lived on Giglio for 50 years told Reuters: "It came much too close (to shore), it never comes this close normally."

 

 

"UNMARKED" ROCK

 

Magistrates said Schettino abandoned the vessel before all the passengers were taken off.

 

The vessel's operator, Costa Crociere, a unit of Carnival Corp & Plc, the world's largest cruise company, said the Costa Concordia had been sailing on its regular course when it struck a submerged rock.

 

In a television interview, Schettino said the rock was not marked on any maritime charts of the area.

 

After an intense rescue operation throughout the weekend, involving helicopters, ships and lifeboats, many passengers had already left the area. Many were taken to Rome airport for flights home.

 

The ship was involved in an accident on Nov. 22, 2008 when it hit a port wall and was damaged while docking.

 

Local officials expressed concern the ship's fuel, at full load as it had just begun the cruise, could spill into pristine waters off Giglio. So far there was no sign of pollution. Dutch maritime services company SMIT said it had been hired to pump fuel off the ship once the rescue was over.

 

The coast guard says the removal of the 2,380 tonnes of fuel cannot begin until the rescue is complete because the operation could cause the vessel to move or sink further into the water.

 

 

DINNER TIME DISASTER

 

Passengers had just sat down to dinner, a few hours after leaving the port of Civitavecchia near Rome on a week-long cruise to Barcelona and Majorca, when a loud bang interrupted the piano player and the ship began to list.

 

"We heard a loud rumble, the glasses and plates fell from the tables, the ship tilted and the lights went off," said passenger Luciano Castro.

 

"What followed was scenes of panic, people screaming, running around the place. Close to us a five-month pregnant young woman was crying and panicking."

 

The ship was carrying almost a thousand Italians, as well as passengers from Britain, Germany, France, Spain, the United States and other countries. Many were elderly and some were in wheelchairs. It became more and more difficult to lower the lifeboats the more the ship listed.

 

"It was complete panic. People were behaving like animals. We had to wait too long in the lifeboats," said Patrizia Perilli, 47.

 

Passengers said they had been given little or no information immediately after the ship ran aground.

 

"After approximately 20 minutes a voice told us there was a problem with the electricity that they were trying to fix," said Castro.

 

"The ship continued to tilt further, after 15 minutes they said again it was a problem with the electricity, but no one believed it," he said.

 

"Of course panic makes things worse and the crew members struggled to calm down the most active and worried passengers."

The ship was built in 2004-2005 at a cost of 450 million euros ($570.00 million) at Italy's Fincantieri Sestri shipyard.

 

 

 

The Ultimate Nuclear Terrorist Threat To The United States

 or not?

Here is the wingnut version of how a solar ElectroMagnet Pulse (EMP) could be misconstrued as a terrorist attack by a mysterious ship that mysteriously sinks leaving a mystery as to whether it was Iran or North Korea or the Evil Empire that caused the EMP attack.

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Any notion that achievement of nuclear capabilities by Iran, North Korea and other countries hostile to U.S. interests poses little direct danger is terribly misguided. Imagine a very plausible scenario: A relatively small and primitive 500-kiloton single-stage atomic bomb – the same type of weapon that has been in existence since the 1950s – is launched from an ordinary-looking freighter ship and exploded in the atmosphere about 300 miles above Chicago.

The resulting electromagnetic pulse (EMP) will release a burst of charged particles powerful enough to overwhelm all systems or circuits that draw or transmit electricity over a large distance, literally blowing them out or frying them from the inside. This includes orbiting satellites used for missile tracking, ground-based GPS, and general communications. The launching ship is then sunk, leaving no firm evidence about who sponsored the attack, or against whom a counterstrike is warranted.

Many highly informed sources, including former speaker of the U.S. House Newt Gingrich, believe the potential for an EMP attack is perhaps our most serious national security threat… one with catastrophic consequences for virtually all aspects of life. Try to picture the disastrous effects of U.S. power grid disruptions that shut down all water pumping and sanitation stations; lights and refrigerators; TV, radio and Internet communications; and manufacturing industries.

Consider that all equipment that relies upon complex electronic micro-circuitry would cease to function, including banking transactions, air traffic control operations, aircraft and ground transportation vehicles, gasoline pumps, and tiny implanted medical devices. Think about those who live in cold climates without heat, contemplate mob pandemonium without essentials to support law enforcement.

Recovery would be expected to require many years. Obtaining and replacing the vast network of power grid transformers destroyed en masse would be a huge, time-consuming task. And while some vital information contained on computer hard drives would be salvageable, the costs would be enormous.

Nuclear EMPs originating in the upper atmosphere would strike suddenly and silently without warning through three different types of pulses. The first type, generally referred to as E1, is an explosion of powerful super high-velocity charged particles that collide with the Earth’s magnetic field producing a massive electric current responsible for frying micro-circuitry.  The second and much less powerful energy burst called E2 causes more localized damage. An E3 component produces a sheer force of charged particles sufficient to actually knock our planet’s entire magnetic field out of its position. Although it quickly snaps back into position, the oscillation creates a long wavelength electrical current lasting up to several minutes that can destroy the power grid over a wide geographic area.

Potentially destructive E3-type EMPs are also released by natural solar storms, particularly the one-in-100-year “solar maximum” super storm events such as the last one that occurred in 1921 before we became computer-dependent. Regarding the next one, Richard Fisher, director of NASA’s Heliophysics observed, “We know it’s coming but we don’t know how bad it’s going to be.”

Without taking adequate protective measures it is estimated that a storm maximum today could expose more than 350 transformers to high-risk or permanent damage, resulting in large-scale blackouts affecting more than 130 million people. Such space weather-induced outage costs could run from $1 trillion to $2 trillion during the first year alone, with a recovery time taking anywhere from four to 10 years.

The good news is that knowledge of means to protect the electrical power grid from E3 EMP damage exists, and could be accomplished quite simply and inexpensively. Shielding from nuclear-based E1 current involves covering electronic devices with boxes or sleeves made from highly conductive metals like copper or aluminum. Computers and other complex electronics will require something called a Faraday cage offering full shielding from stray electric currents. This applies also to shortwave radios which need to be protected before such an emergency occurs.

The bad news is that this isn’t being done to any major degree, either by utility companies or by government.

 

 

Unfortunately, it is unrealistic to imagine we can avoid calamatous nuclear EMP consequences without extensive deterrants to terrorist attacks. Yet despite the fact that six national commissions and major independent U.S. government studies have independently concurred that there is significant danger, Congress has yet to act in a substantive manner. For the most part, U.S. government agencies have not taken planning for their response to an EMP attack beyond theoretical stages.

While President Ronald Reagan’s vision to implement a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) aimed at ensuring America’s safety against a nuclear missile attack by using land- and space-based defense systems was never completely realized, that threat continues to grow as more and more rogue adversaries gain offensive means. For example, last June the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, Fereydoun Abbasi Davani, announced plans to triple Iran’s capacity to produce 20% enriched uranium, making it abundantly clear the program is not being designed for peaceful purposes. Power stations only require uranium enriched to about 3% for fuel.

After enough 20% enriched uranium is accumulated at Iran’s underground facility at Qom, it will take only two or three months of additional work to convert this into weapons grade material. Iran has a persistent record of evasion and obfuscation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has failed to provide the IAEA with access to relevant locations, equipment, persons or documents. It also hasn’t replied to questions from the IAEA on its procurement of nuclear-related items and aspects of its work that could be useful only for developing a nuclear weapon – such as detonators for an atom bomb. In addition, it has an active ballistic missile program, including the development and testing of missiles with a range of over a thousand kilometres. Still worse, Iran’s nuclear program can be expected to advance a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, already the world’s most volatile region.

Six U.N. Security Council resolutions requiring that Iran suspend enrichment immediately have been ignored. Further, Iran has so far refused to enter into any negotiations on its nuclear program until the E3+3 countries (the U.S., U.K., China, France, Germany and Russia) agree to lift all sanctions and immediately recognize Iran’s right to enrich. This circumstance can no longer be tolerated.

We must clearly understand that an imperative to prevent nuclear proliferation in the Middle East isn’t just primarily about protecting Israel’s right to exist. The U.S. is hardly immune from a direct and devastating EMP assault that, unless checked, could very well blast our electronics-dependent society back to the Dark Ages. Accordingly, there are some urgent safeguards that must be given highest priority:

• Government, industry and media leaders should immediately investigate and inform the general public about the scope of dangers posed by space weather and terrorist EMP events, urging actions that can mitigate risks.
• All possible countermeasures should be implemented to harden the U.S. power grid, communications, and other critical electrical circuitry from solar and terrorist EMP events, and research should be emphasized to develop better ones.
• America should fund comprehensive multi-layered missile defense programs, including advanced space-based missile launch detection and ground-based threat neutralization systems.
• Federal, state, and local governments must be compelled to develop coordinated EMP response and recovery plans that are incorporated into other disaster scenarios.
• Under no circumstances can the U.S. allow Iran, North Korea and other rogue nations to gain nuclear capabilities that further destabilize U.S. and global security.

In summary, we must begin to give serious thought to the unthinkable, and take all possible actions to prevent avoidable tragedies from occurring.