Tom Ridge, former Sec. of DHS
Reliance on imports leaves U.S. vulnerable to disasters, according to a new report.
An increasing reliance on imports, combined with the fraying of the nation’s power grid, highways and rail lines, leaves the United States more vulnerable to the damage of natural disasters and terrorist attacks, according to a report to be released Wednesday by former homeland security secretary Tom Ridge.
The report, which Ridge shared with homeland security officials Tuesday morning, warns that the offshoring of U.S. factories means that rebounding from a catastrophe will be more difficult because so many critical supplies would have to come from overseas
The authors are two former DHS executives. A press release and video are available.
The report raises some interesting points, including where and when will the needed reconstruction materials come come. The report was sponsored by the Alliance for Manufacturing, which suggests domestic manufacturers have an obvious concern about the topic.
As an interesting side note, many of our infrastructure “pieces” we’re built by companies like Chicago Bridge and Iron which aren’t able to replace them (out of business, different business models…). This lends credence to the report.