LARGE DAMS AND THE TERRORIST THREAT

摘要

Dams in general are hazardous structures that, as every informed terrorist knows, harness vast quantities of potential energy, even by nuclear standards. Dams also fail, usually in unpredictable ways and frequently at the most inopportune times. Thus, dam owners have become attuned to having to deal effectively with unexpected failures, the failure of the Dale Dyke Dam in Sheffield, UK in 1864 and the Silver Lake dam failure at Marquette, USA in 2003 being just two examples spanning the last century. In simple terms, dam ownership necessarily demands the ability to respond to unexpected dam failure.