Attacks Against Electrical Grid in AR

[FlagDayNCO]

I didn't see this posted and thought it should be shared. The tactics have gained some attention. These are two incidents reported, but there has been other activity related to this.

In the early morning hours of August 21st, the electric power grid was targeted in what appears to have been a deliberate, decidedly low-tech act of vandalism–with more dangerous implications for grid safety.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2013/09/26/terrorists-attack-electric-grid-in-arkansas/

...the person or people who tried to bring down a massive transmission tower in central Arkansas knew where and when the grid was vulnerable.

The most recent attack:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2013/10/07/weekend-attacks-on-arkansas-electric-grid-leave-10000-without-power-you-should-have-expected-u-s/

The implication appears to be that the culprit not only knew where to find the equipment he needed to cause a power outage, but he also know how to use that equipment well enough to pull down two utility poles.

The way the poles were brought down indicates knowledge and training.

Now, this may sound like someone with inside knowledge, but also can indicate good pre-mission training. People that want to save the world.

[fng13]

I think the fact that this line was proposed as a revelation is what's really scary here.

While the electric power industry has expressed concerns about cybersecurity, the recent spate of attacks in Arkansas suggests that the electric power grid is equally if not more vulnerable to physical acts of sabotage.


They really didn't know that the power grid, which is connected by a series of unguarded lines and substations is vulnerable to physical attacks?

Seems pretty obvious, unplug the chord and the lighty no worky.

[The Reaper]

May be a rehearsal for something larger.

Our electrical grid is our center of gravity. It is woefully outdated, unprotected, and has little redundancy or recuperability.

CARVER?

Our elected leadership chooses to ignore this and works to close more electrical plants and to deny new ones every week.

TR

[MtnGoat]

We need to take more of your systems" off the Internet and back to the 1950 microwave system. It worked for 60 plus years. Update it and go "analog".

[mugwump]

We need to take more of your systems" off the Internet and back to the 1950 microwave system. It worked for 60 plus years. Update it and go "analog".

Oil and gas pipelines, water systems, the grid, rail transport, truck dispatch, finance...it's too late to go back. No one has the trained personnel, money, or the will to do it.

I agree that sabotage is an issue, but systems are collapsing under their own weight without sabotage. They haven't even changed the diesel fuel polishing protocols for nuke plants in light of the new ultralow-sulfur nonroad fuel mandated by the EPA. Recent studies are showing 20% degradation of some fuel in one month. Hell, some fuel--after production, storage, shipment to a regional storage facility, and pickup by a jobber--is out of spec on the day it's delivered. If they ever run the tanks down past half-full I wonder how many nuke backup generators will be running? More than 70% of gensets fail due to bad fuel.

[Hammer11]

I live 1.5 miles from the tower that was brought down. There are many theories as reason for the "mishap." Entergy Arkansas, who owns the towers, said really nothing other than pointing to some unknown person(s) as culprits. The contractor hired by Entergy said something entirely different that did not make the press. Seems the insulators on that particular tower were in dire need for replacement and Entergy kept putting off the replacement.

The lines cross a UP Railroad track and AR Hwy 321 approx. 300' from the downed tower. A North bound freight was approaching the 321 overpass and the engineer said he saw the line sagging very low to the tracks and could not stop. The lead engine caught the line and pulled the tower down. The engineer did say he saw sparks everywhere (imagine that) and did not get the train stopped until approx, .75 miles later.

The FBI is investigating but other than initial press releases, has now made their findings known.

[Sdiver]

I think we're missing the BIG picture here ...... where was Dusty?

He WAS off this site for awhile.

:munchin

[FlagDayNCO]

Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas; and James Hendricks, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); announced today that Jason Woodring, age 37, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, was arrested on a Criminal Complaint charging him with destruction of an energy facility.

The Affidavit filed with the Complaint alleges that Woodring is responsible for multiple acts of sabotage to the power grid in Central Arkansas. Yesterday, Lonoke County Sheriff's Office deputies received multiple calls regarding an explosion on John Shelton Road in Jacksonville, Arkansas. Deputies and Entergy employees determined the explosion occurred under power lines near Woodring's residence. Agents from the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force called to the scene, observed a type of blue hose similar to evidence found at another power grid sabotage scene. Interviews were conducted and information from these interviews was connected to previous power grid attacks resulting in the arrest of Woodring today. It is anticipated that an initial appearance in federal court will be scheduled for Tuesday.

"The citizens of Central Arkansas can rest a bit easier today with the arrest of Jason Woodring," stated Thyer. "The power grid attacks had the potential to put many lives at risk. When we depend on electrical power not only for comfort and convenience, but also for safety, security and life-sustaining equipment, not knowing where the next attack would occur held the public hostage to an unknown attacker. I am extremely grateful to all the investigators from the FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Union Pacific Police, Entergy, First Electric, Lonoke County Sheriff's Office, Cabot Police, Arkansas State Police, Conway Police Department, Little Rock Police Department and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for their commitment to this investigation these past few months."

The power grid investigation began on August 21, 2013, with the sabotage of a high voltage power line support tower. Investigation of the 100-foot tower revealed that a shackle which holds a 500,000 volt power line was severed. Additionally, over 100 bolts securing the support tower had been removed leaving only five bolts to hold the tower and the power lines it carried in place. Due to the cut shackle, a power line fell on a nearby railroad track and was later struck by a passing train severing the power line causing a brief power outage in Cabot, Arkansas. Entergy was able to reroute power to mitigate the affect this outage had on its customers. Blue hose similar to that found at and near Woodring's residence was found around this sabotage site.

A second attack on the power grid occurred September 29, 2013, at an Entergy Extremely High Voltage (EHV) switching station in Scott, Arkansas. According to the Affidavit, local authorities responding to notification that alarms were indicating multiple problems at the station found the EHV station on fire. A message in black marker at the entrance to the station read, "You should have expected U.S." Entergy representatives estimate the damage to the switching station to be over two million dollars.

On October 6, 2013, a third incident was reported by First Electric Cooperative (FEC) which experienced a power outage in Jacksonville, Arkansas. This outage caused the loss of power to approximately 9,000 customers. An investigation by FEC and the FBI revealed two power poles had been cut and one pulled down causing the downing of a 115,000-volt transmission line. The tractor allegedly used to pull down the pole was stolen from a location directly across the street from Jason Woodring's residence.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Union Pacific Police, Entergy, First Electric, Lonoke County Sheriff's Office, Cabot Police, Arkansas State Police, Conway Police Department, Little Rock Police Department and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Gordon is prosecuting this case for the United States.

The charges set forth in a Complaint are merely allegations. A federal Grand Jury will decide whether to indict on these charges. If indicted and convicted of this charge, Woodring faces a possible sentence of not more than 20 years imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine followed by three years supervised release. Woodring is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Source: http://www.thv11.com/news/article/283191/2/Jacksonville-man-arrested-on-recent-attacks-on-power-grid

[ZonieDiver]

I think we're missing the BIG picture here ...... where was Dusty?

He WAS off this site for awhile.

:munchin

But, apparently NOT 'off' the grid! :D