NATION IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Power System Called Easy Terrorist Target
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Terrorists armed with readily available rifles and basic engineering knowledge could knock out electric power to any American city, a Senate committee was told by Robin Roy of the congressional Office of Technology Assessment. Shooting down transmission lines would cause blackouts and months of rotating power outages, he said. The panel, which is studying the vulnerability of power plants, was told also that power systems generally can withstand hurricanes, but that many outside of California are not designed to withstand strong earthquakes.
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