One of Washington state’s five refineries may have come under surveillance by terrorists, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which said that although the suspicious activity could be a prelude to an attack, it had no specific intelligence targeting energy-related infrastructure. Though the department offered no specifics, it said an "individual in a kayak was observed videotaping a northwestern U.S. company’s refinery. The company’s security personnel reported a suspicious encounter with a diver in the same general area last year."
In addition, the department said a key ring with about 50 keys on it was stolen from a field truck owned by a company with a Northwest refinery. The keys could provide "potential access" to the company’s facilities throughout the country, though the department said locks on the local facility were being changed. The department, in a bulletin sent to petroleum company officials as well as state and local law enforcement officials, said similar incidents had been reported at oil and gas refineries and pipeline facilities elsewhere in the country. "Suspicious incident reports concerning possible surveillance of oil and gas refineries and infrastructure continue to emerge from throughout the homeland and may, in some cases, be indicative of terrorist pre-operational activities," the department said. "Al-Qaeda views critical infrastructure targets -- particularly businesses involving oil and gas -- as attractive options because of their potentially significant economic, public health and safety, and psychological impacts."
The bulletin noted there have been a series of terrorist attacks on energy sector targets overseas, particularly in the Persian Gulf. The reports of suspicious activity in the United States have come from security officials at refineries, law enforcement officials and concerned citizens, the bulletin said. "Oftentimes individuals involved in suspicious photographing or videotaping of a facility would rapidly depart the scene before authorities could question them," the bulletin said. "In some cases, vehicle license plate registration checks reveal a mismatch between license plate and vehicle." Though no "identifiable trend or conclusive analysis" has emerged, the department said it appeared the activity could be characterized as surveillance of energy-related facilities. |