Agencies collaborate on threat assements

The science and technology directorate within the Homeland Security Department focuses on a range of biological threats, and it has emphasized those events that would significantly impact the nation, Penrose Albright, assistant secretary of the directorate, told the House Homeland Security Committee Thursday.

The department is working on a weapons of mass destruction assessment effort for the department's Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection (IAIP) department. S&T has delivered to IAIP a report describing explosive threat areas and is working on embedding WMD scientific experts within IAIP to offer technical expertise, Albright said.

S&T also is working on an advanced information discovery, analysis and visualization tool to be used with the threat-vulnerability mapping system, he said.

"The time has come to develop and implement a clear national strategy for biodefense that will allow us to focus on priorities, discipline spending, and permit measurement toward concrete goals," said Chairman Christopher Cox, R-Calif.