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"Just as we are one of the nation's
leading agriculture producers, we must also lead when it comes to
making sure the nation's food supply is protected," Blagojevich
said.
The governor explained that the state's
initiatives include funding the development of the first
Internet-based system in the country to track agricultural assets,
along with the operation of an animal terrorism hot line that can be
used to report suspicious nuclear, biological or chemical incidents
involving food animals, wildlife and pets.
The first phase of the Internet-based
system is a $22,000 pilot project in Clinton County that will use
sophisticated satellite technology to plot agricultural assets, such
as livestock, grain elevators, food processing facilities and
companies that specialize in transporting agricultural produce. The
county was chosen because it ranks first in the state for cash
livestock sales and second in the state in the number of hogs.
"Just as terrorists have become more
creative in their methods, we too must be creative in developing
defenses against them," Blagojevich said. "If this project proves to
be successful, the people of Illinois will have the best system in
the nation in place to keep the food supply safe and protect the
agriculture industry, which helps drive Illinois' economy."
The state is contracting with Science
Applications International Corporation to develop the model system
for Clinton County that, if successful, Blagojevich has pledged to
"expeditiously" expand to the state's other 101 counties. The
corporation will use its software called INSSITE, an acronym for
Interactive Sensor Simulation for Terrain Environments.
SAIC will incorporate agricultural
information from all available sources, including the John Deere
Company, which has the largest agricultural database in the nation,
in order to create a Web-based 3-D livestock emergency response tool
that provides real-time information to the Illinois Department of
Agriculture and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency -- the
agencies that would direct the emergency response to an
agroterrorism event or natural disaster. The information could be
used to help quarantine areas to prevent the spread of infection,
contamination or fallout.
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"Funding for Global Positioning System
technology, infield computers and mapping software is critical to
having the ability to mount a rapid response in the event of a
terrorist attack on the agriculture industry," said Dr. Coleen
O'Keefe, acting state veterinarian at the Illinois Department of
Agriculture. "It is imperative that the state be able to accurately
locate animals at risk, slaughter facilities and warehouses and be
able to identify sensitive environmental concerns in the case of an
outbreak."
The Illinois Animal Terrorism
Information Hotline, one of the most comprehensive and thorough
animal surveillance hot lines in the country, is now available 24
hours a day at 1 (888) 426-4767 for veterinarians, livestock
producers, and government or health officials to call in with
questions and concerns related to animal illnesses that are unusual
or may be related to agroterrorism. An early warning of suspicious
activity would allow the state to move rapidly to lessen the
possible impact on human and animal health. Potential terrorist
agents could include pesticides and nerve agents, as well as
zoonotic diseases such as anthrax, plague and tularemia or foreign
animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease.
The hot line, which received an initial
funding grant of $165,000 from state bioterrorism funds, is a joint
effort of the Illinois departments of Agriculture and Public Health
and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, an allied agency of the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Information from calls
received by the hot line, which is staffed by specially trained
veterinarians and veterinary technicians, is immediately referred to
state officials either by computer or telephone.
According to
O'Keefe, Illinois is home to nearly 2 million cows, more than 4
million hogs, 120,000 dairy cattle, and 74,000 sheep and goats.
Illinois generates nearly $7.5 billion annually in farm income, with
the livestock industry generating $1.4 billion in cash receipts.
[News release from the
governor's office]
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