Legislature(2007 - 2008)BELTZ 211
04/08/2008 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| State Commission for Human Rights | |
| HB414 | |
| HB368 | |
| HJR40 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 305 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 414 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 368 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HJR 40 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HJR 40-ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE ATTACK DEFENSE
10:15:09 AM
CHAIR MCGUIRE announced consideration of HJR 40. [Before the
committee was HJR 40 am.]
JENNIFER BAXTER, Staff to Representative Nancy Dahlstrom, said
in 1997 the Alaska legislature petitioned the government to take
action to develop and deploy a missile defense system. Alaska's
Joint Arm Services Committee was briefed by a commission to
assess the threat to the country from electromagnetic pulse
(EMP) attacks. Alaska's Division of Homeland Security and
Emergency Management will include EMP in its preparedness
planning "as this threat intersects with the full range of risks
and hazards confronting the state." HJR 40 makes it a policy of
the state to follow the recommendations of the EMP commission
and urges the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to support
states in doing this work.
MCHUGH PIERRE, Legislative Liaison, Department of Military and
Veterans Affairs (DMVA), said his department supports HJR 40.
Alaska's homeland security division has already started
understanding this kind of attack and how the state will
respond, including how to re-create computer networks. It has
not been addressed with a single-source funding, but it is part
of the big plan.
10:17:35 AM
SENATOR FRENCH asked which nations have ballistic missiles that
can reach our shores.
MEAD TREADWELL, Chairman and CEO of Venture Ad Astra, Anchorage,
said Russia, China, France, Britain, India, North Korea, and
perhaps Iran. Many other nations could load scud missiles on a
ship and reach our country.
10:19:41 AM
MR. TREADWELL thanked legislators for hosting a commission last
fall. "There is a new volume coming out that will be
underscoring the vulnerability of the United States, especially
our power grids for this." It could be difficult for someone to
use a cell phone to find their children "if this were to
happen." He said, "It is seen by some people as the kind of
disabling nonlethal weapon, I suppose, that we need to be
concerned about and prepared for." He met with people in
Maryland who are working on similar legislation. HJR 40 will
underscore what DMVA is doing as part its all-hazards approach.
An earthquake can shut down power systems on a piece-meal basis,
but very few things can shut it down on a large-scale basis and
it's important to prepare for that. The resolution will join
others in asking for support from the DHS to address the issue
on a national basis. Bill Graham has been to Alaska for a
missile defense conference and he is head of the commission. He
was the acting head of NASA during the Reagan Administration.
Congress has continued the work of the commission to build an
understanding of this issue.
10:22:18 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked if there other nonlethal risks. This is
very specific.
MR. TREADWELL said he is not aware of any. Cyber threats are a
major threat to the United States, and entire countries have
been attacked to shut down government computer systems. There is
work going on to make sure utilities can't be hacked into. There
is a rumor that we were able to turn out the lights in Bagdad
before we dropped bombs on it. He is not an authority, but when
"I have spoken to authorities who can speak on that issue they
haven't denied what I've said." This kind of threat will be
vastly debilitating. He had dinner with utility leaders, and if
a new transformer is needed after an attack, most of them are
made offshore and the waiting list is long. The country hasn't
thought about it.
10:24:28 AM
CHAIR MCGUIRE asked how it will interfere with RFD technology.
MR. TREADWELL said he was told that the most vulnerable systems
are the ones that are part of a larger grid. A cell phone might
work after an attack, but the tower may not, so it becomes
useless. A chip may work, but the reader may not.
JUDY KOMOROWSKI, Tok, said she loves her country and loves
living in Alaska. She moved to Alaska in 1996, one year before
the legislature decided to play a major role in the defense of
the country. Alaskans didn't vote for this role. There was only
supposed to be 10 missile silos installed in Delta Junction and
now there will be over 100. It makes it a major target. A fact
sheet from the Institute of the North states that this is why
Alaska now needs to be set up for the EMP attack. "But what
about the HAARP [High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program]
station in Gakona, Alaska, and the EMP that it emits? Should
Alaska not protect itself from those pulse emissions?" There
needs to be healthy public debate on these issues that are so
pertinent to all Alaskans and Americans. This issue shouldn't be
shuffled through the legislature so quickly without a vote of
Alaskans since they seem to be on the front lines.
10:27:07 AM
SENATOR FRENCH said he went to Fort Greely and got a fascinating
tour, and it is an amazing place. Its defense system is not for
big ICBMs launched from the Soviet Union. It is made to pick up
smaller, slower flying missiles from rogue nations. "No one
should think of it as a general shield from all missile attacks,
but they do seem to be developing the capability to know just
the kinds of small missiles that can be launched against us, or
the United States in general, across our airspace."
SENATOR STEVENS asked about other risks besides EMP.
MR. PIERRE said HJR 40 is focused on EMP because Alaska has the
capability to intercept a missile and destroy it should it have
a small-yield nuclear head on board. The question is about the
state infrastructure and response, and that is why HJR 40 is
directed at EMP. "We need to raise awareness and the possibility
of this type of attack occurring and be able to continue to
function." That includes state and local government, power
grids, and communications. He said Alaska should be considering
other types of attacks, but HJR 40 is not the vehicle. "In our
all-hazards plan, we do consider cyber attacks; we do have an
energy contingency plan, essentially a reverse two-minute drill,
so when we are attacked, what type of measures do we enact right
away to make sure that we have that stability in our society to
continue to function." The resolution needs to stay focused.
10:30:05 AM
SENATOR FRENCH moved to report HJR 40 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There
being no objection, HJR 40 am moved from committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|