FF in NYC?
==Final Environmental Assessment of Proposed Tracer Particle and Gas
Releases for Chemical and Bio-Defense Testbed (CBT) Program and
Urban Threat Dispersion (UTD) Program==
Prepared for the Department of Homeland Security
Science and Technology Directorate
September 2021
88 pages
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and other stakeholders in New York City (NYC), is proposing to conduct testing events to improve
resiliency of urban areas and transportation systems against chemical or biological terrorist attacks (Proposed Action).
This Environmental Assessment (EA) documents the analysis of any potential effects on the environment resulting from the Proposed Action. This EA is being coordinated with stakeholders and the public for information and comment, in accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as outlined in 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508 and DHS Directive 023-01, Rev. 01 and DHS Instruction Manual 023-01-001-01, Rev.01, implementing NEPA. Recent changes to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA (40
CFR Parts 1500-1508) became effective on September 14, 2020. As stated in 40 CFR Part 1506.13, the new regulatory changes apply to any NEPA process begun after September 14, 2020. This EA commenced after that date; therefore, this EA conforms to the new CEQ NEPA
implementing regulations.
The Proposed Action would start in October 2021 and involves the release of particle and gas tracer materials directed into the open-air space in several pre-determined locations within NYC
The Proposed Action would include the release of low concentrations of safe particle and gas tracer materials as part of two programs - the Urban Threat Dispersion (UTD) program and the Chemical and Bio-defense Testbed (CBT) program. The Proposed Action and the No Action
Alternatives are considered in this EA. During the 30-day public comment period the CBT project has been funded beyond the previously published period of performance. This extension allows for additional testing as new
technology is acquired and installed, and the number of sites is expanded. No new particle and gas tracer materials will be used therefore the impacts previously analyzed in the EA will not change.
The UTD program is a follow-on to the Underground Transportation Restoration [UTR] project/test event, conducted in 2016, in which safe particle and gas tracers were released in the MTA NYC Transit (NYCT) subway system. In this study, the dispersion of materials through
the system was studied. The results of the UTR project helped first responders and critical stakeholders better understand how biological particles would disseminate after a potential release. The UTR test event also raised several additional questions, including the relationship
between tracer materials released in the subway and the aboveground urban environment. These follow-on questions are the focus of the proposed upcoming UTD test. Additionally, further
evaluation of the propagation of tracer materials to transit and outdoor sites in the greater NYC metro area, and Northeastern Seaboard is of interest.
The goal of the CBT program is to increase resilience against potential chemical or biological agent attacks by testing and evaluating detection technologies and mitigation (or response)
ii strategies to reduce agent propagation in several locations within the NYC subway system. In order to evaluate the performance of both sensor technologies and response strategies, DHS S&T proposes to disseminate safe simulant or tracer materials that mimic key properties of
biological and chemical agents of concern. Performance data would be gathered regarding the performance of newly installed sensors (e.g., maintenance costs, frequency of false alarms, and probability and time to detect a potential threat) after the testing events.
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/ea_utd_cbt_v7clean.pdf