Fake Homeland Security Inspection at Chemical Plant
Jan. 26, 2004
State Investigates Legitimacy of Homeland Security Inspection
November 23, 2003
CHATTANOOGA (AP) -- State officials are investigating whether a man who recently inspected a chemical plant in Chattanooga was an official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as he claimed, or an impostor.
Mjr. Gen. Jerry Humble, Tennessee's chief of homeland security, said his group is aware of the situation and intends to get to the bottom of it.
Officials were informed of the man's visit to the Chattanooga BASF plant during a meeting of the Local Emergency Planning Committee.
David Darnell, BASF's safety manager, told the committee that a man identifying himself as a federal inspector called to ask about some tanker rail cars at the plant.
Darnell told the man to "bring some identification" to the plant, where he could get his questions answered in person.
The man, wearing a uniform and armed with a pistol, arrived several days later.
Humble said the Department of Homeland Security has not informed his office of any plans to inspect industrial plants in Tennessee.
In addition, he said, it is standard practice for armed federal agents to notify local law enforcement agencies when they come into town.
http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=1537839
the article doesn't tell as much of the story as mom's local news did.
Here's what the local news reported per my mom:
Guy calls BASF Chemical Plant in Chattanooga and starts asking a bunch of questions and says he's with Homeland Security. They told him he'd have to come in because they couldn't answer his questions on the phone. 3 days later the guy shows up in a "uniform" and packing a gun. Asks BASF all about their operation, he was really interesting in the rail cars that enter the plant with tanker cars. Asking the schedule of them, if they can be rented and other various things. The stupid people never checked him out and told him everything he wanted to know. Days later the real Homeland Security had contacted them about uping security at the plant because of possible terrorism etc. And they said yeah one of your guys was already out here...HS was like we haven't sent anybody there. So isn't that just great!