Title: Introduction to Critical Infrastructure
Course: 2016FA-MCO-115-401 > Section: Module 1: Introduction to Mission Critical Infrastructure

What is Critical Infrastructure?

Critical infrastructure is,  “the systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital that the incapacity or destruction of such may have debilitating impact on the security, economy, public health or safety, environment, or any combination of those matters, across any Federal, State, regional, territorial, or local jurisdiction” [1, p. 14].

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security[1] works to gather and analyze data related to planning for and responding to hazards to critical infrastructure. They work alongside the Office of Infrastructure Protection, which leads the effort to manage risks to the nation’s critical infrastructure. The Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP) partners with the private sector, since the private sector owns and operates the majority of U.S. critical infrastructure. As well as providing information on emerging threats and hazards, tools, training, and resources to their partners, IP also performs assessments to help critical infrastructure owners and operators, State, local, tribal, and territorial partners understand and address risks [1].

There are many different ways to categorize critical infrastructure and not every entity would agree on what categories rank as critical. For the purposes of this course, we will use the categories set forth by the Department of Homeland Security. They have categorized critical infrastructure into 16 different sectors and they can be found here. We will touch on all of these sectors in this course and some of the main areas covered in them.

Why is it so important?

Life and the Quality of Life

Infrastructure is so important because it is the essential basis for: supplying basic needs for sustaining human life, maintaining quality of life, and possibilities of creating a future.

For example, without critical infrastructure, the food supply would be limited in ways that you may have never thought of –

- The food grown in a very limited distance would be all that was available to you
- Food grown would be of a lesser quality and quantity if access to necessary fertilizer and other chemicals was unavailable
- Horticulture and agriculture are dependent on a water supply that is safe and abundant

So, the bridges and roads that food travels over to get to many locations for sale are one part of our infrastructure that our food supply is dependent on. Chemicals that are regulated and kept in the places where they belong are also a category that could affect the food supply. Clean and available water is necessary to water crops, and for farm animals, and humans to drink. Many critical infrastructure categories intertwine and work together to provide us the comforts and basic necessities in life that we sometimes take for granted.

The failure of certain aspects of our country’s infrastructure would probably result in deaths. “More than 4,000 dams in the United States are listed as deficient, including nearly 2,000 that are considered “high-hazard-potential” dams, which means that a dam failure would likely result in deaths” [2].

Why are we placing such an importance on critical infrastructure now?

Technology

Infrastructure, like the majority of other aspects in our lives, has been touched and changed by evolving technologies. In order for humankind to keep up with the technological advancements that have been made, and in order to do so in a manner in which we protect our environment, respect our resources, and ensure that we are good stewards of critical infrastructure for future generations, we must invest our time, money, and resources in critical infrastructure. This increasing complexity in the technology surrounding critical infrastructure has made keeping up with necessary changes and refurbishments difficult and as a nation the United States is beginning to see the need for more attention to incorporating these technologies into our infrastructure. We are currently experiencing an increase in demand placed on our nation’s infrastructure because of growing population and because of increased technological advancements.

Age and History

The 1970s put into place some of the law to keep our nation’s drinking water safe. For example the National Environmental Protection Act (1970), the Clean Water Act (1972), and the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) were all implemented with clean water in mind. Since this time the water infrastructure has aged. “In some eastern cities, systems have some pipes in use that are almost 200 years old” [3, p. 10]. The American Society of Engineers’ 2009 Report Card on America’s Infrastructure showed,  “…that 7 billion gallons of clean drinking water are lost per day because of leaking pipes” (Growing Blue, 2011, para. 1).

“The average age of all 607,380 bridges in the United States is 42 years, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers” [4].

The interstate system that we know today in the United States originated with the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. The formal name of our Interstate Highway system is the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defensive Highways. The system was named after President Eisenhower who worked towards its formation. The original system of highways was completed in 1991. Since 1991 it has been extended with additions continually being added as needed [5]. It took 35 years to complete the system. The Federal-Aid-Highway Act of 1976 spelled out a plan for resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation of the system, the Federal-Aid-Highway Act of 1981 added reconstruction, but as of  1998 and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century’s passing, the ‘4 R’s’ were done away with, allowing for all of these except the construction of new lanes (unless auxiliary or HOV). So, over time we have learned the value of performing upkeep to the system while limiting the systems growth past the original aim of President Eisenhower’s plan to connect the states and also aid in troop movement.

In a Daily News article David Knowles quotes Rick Grant, owner of Russell Corrosion (a company that assesses infrastructure), saying, “Some of this infrastructure is more than a hundred years old, but wasn’t designed with more than a 50-year lifespan in mind” [6].

Green Infrastructure / Ecological Concerns

The trend to move towards green infrastructure is a fairly new one. The United States Environmental Protection Agency describes green infrastructure as, “…an approach that communities can choose to maintain healthy waters, provide multiple environmental benefits and support sustainable communities” [7]. The environmental benefits of green infrastructure come from using soil and vegetation to manage rainwater and moving away from the use of pipes to carry away rainwater. The EPA goes on to say that, “By weaving natural processes into the built environment, green infrastructure provides not only stormwater management, but also flood mitigation, air quality management, and much more” [7].

The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems in partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology presented: Infrastructure Ecology: An evolving paradigm for sustainable development in September of 2013 at the World Engineers Summit in Singapore. This study highlights the importance of considering infrastructure in its environment; the infrastructure has an impact on natural environment, the socioeconomic environment, as well as on other infrastructure categories [8].

As more alternative energy sources are utilized, it becomes clear that the United States needs to work on more ways to integrate these into the power grid. Methods for storing energy created by means of solar, wind, and water must be created and implemented. Renewable energy sources like wind and solar could be more efficiently and easily taken advantage of with the implementation of a new national smart grid system.

Population Growth

As the population of the United States grows so does the demand placed on the country’s critical infrastructure. “With the U.S. population expected to grow almost 440 million people by 2050 and interstate commerce expected to grow as well…” [9, p. 26]. If the population increases beyond the scope of what the United States plans for, infrastructure such as transportation, water, energy, communications, healthcare, and food are all at risk of being stretched too thin.

Security

In the years since September 11, 2001, security has become a major concern in the United States. In 2002 the United States established the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS combined 22 different federal departments and agencies into one. Customs, Immigration and Naturalization, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Secret Service and 18 other agencies are represented. Keeping the critical infrastructure in the United States safe and secure is a major purpose of Department of Homeland Security whose primary mission is to protect our homeland [10]. Both physical and cyber security are being emphasized and both can benefit from critical infrastructure improvements.

Lack of Funds

“Based on current spending and revenue trends, the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund will encounter a shortfall before the end of fiscal year (FY) 2014” [11].

“Based on current spending and revenue trends, the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund will have a balance of approximately $1 billion at the end of FY 2014” [11].

Anthony R. Foxx the Secretary of Transportation, in a letter to State DOT Directors, states that it appears as soon as August 2014 there may not be enough money to fund the Nation’s transportation investments through the end of the fiscal year (September). He adds, “The reason is simple – not enough revenue is coming into the fund to support the ongoing work necessary to maintain our roads, bridges, highways, and transit system” [12].

[1] The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was devised in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. DHS works in the civilian sector and has the responsibility of protecting the United States and its territories from terrorist attacks, man-made accidents, and natural disaster. [13]