White House Approves 2017 National Defense Authorization Act

Legislation Requires Department of Homeland Security to Address Critical Infrastructure Protection against Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and Geomagnetic Disturbance (GMD)


CEDAR PARK, Texas, January 26, 2017 On December 23, 2016, the White House signed the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which includes the complete language of H.R. 1073/S. 1846, Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), that was awaiting a vote in the U.S. Senate. The CIPA amends The Homeland Security Act of 2002 and addresses the need for Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and Geomagnetic Disturbance (GMD) protection of all 16 critical infrastructure segments as shown in the table below:

Energy Sector (electricity, petroleum, and natural gas)
Defense Industrial Base Sector
Communications Sector
Healthcare and Public Health Sector
Emergency Services Sector
Water and Wastewater Systems Sector
Transportation Systems Sector
Food and Agriculture Sector
Information Technology Sector
Financial Services Sector
Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector
Chemical Sector
Commercial Facilities Sector
Critical Manufacturing Sector
Dams Sector
Government Facilities Sector

 

The CIPA (H.R. 3410) was first introduced to the 113th Congress in October of 2013 and consequently died there. Subsequently, the CIPA was reintroduced to the 114th Congress in February of 2015 as H.R. 1073. In May 2015, an expert from ETS-Lindgren testified in a hearing before the U.S. Congress in support of CIPA H.R. 1073 that EMP protection is available, cost effective and several businesses have voluntarily already implemented this protection. This testimony along with those of other experts provided the rationale and feasibility for enacting the CIPA. In addition to support by many in the scientific and engineering communities, the FBI sponsored InfraGard EMP Special Interest Group lent strong support for the bill. In November of 2015, H.R 1073 was passed by the House of Representatives and moved on to the Senate as S. 1846 where it was passed by committee and moved on to the Senate calendar but never received a vote. Unfortunately, like all bills that are not enacted, S.1846 was cleared from the books at the end of the session. However, in November of 2016 successful efforts made in Congress led to including the language of the CIPA in the NDAA which eventually resulted in its passage.

The passage into law of the CIPA as part of the NDAA represents the first official legislation documenting the importance the U.S. Government has placed on EMP and GMD protection for the Critical Infrastructure. This law requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to oversee an intelligence based review of a complete strategy to protect and eventually prepare all 16 Critical Infrastructure Segments of the homeland against the threats of EMP and GMD.

ETS-Lindgren is a recognized world leader in the Radio Frequency (RF) Shielded Enclosure/Anechoic Chamber industry with manufacturing and sales offices around the world. The company is a proven provider of integrated solutions for protection from the effects of EMP events, and the only company whose entire line of EMP protective solutions have been independently tested and certified by the Little Mountain Test Facility at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, a facility owned by the U.S. government and managed by Boeing. The EMP protection solution includes ETS-Lindgrens Red Edge Pulse Protection systems. Test reports are available upon request. For large projects, ETS-Lindgrens in house certified Building Information Modeling (BIM) team provides a key advantage. BIM is used to plan, design and construct buildings and infrastructure as the first step in any large project. This tool results in cost-effective and well-managed project execution.

Those interested in learning more about EMP and GMD can attend a workshop at ETS-Lindgren in Cedar Park, Texas (just north of Austin) on March 7-8, 2017. The instructor is expert William A. Radasky, Ph.D., P.E., IEEE Life Fellow, chair of the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) SC.77C addressing high power transient phenomena. Workshop topics include a review of High-altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) produced by the detonation of a nuclear device in space. Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI) produced by nearby criminals or terrorists using new-technology electromagnetic weapons will also be addressed. Click here for more information on the EMP workshop.

About ETS-Lindgren

ETS-Lindgren is an international manufacturer of components and systems that measure, shield, and control electromagnetic and acoustic energy. The company's products are used for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), microwave and wireless testing, electromagnetic field (EMF) measurement, radio frequency (RF) personal safety monitoring, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and control of acoustic environments.

Headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas, ETS-Lindgren has manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of ESCO Technologies, a leading supplier of engineered products for growing industrial and commercial markets. ESCO is a New York Stock Exchange listed company (symbol ESE) with headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. Additional information about ETS-Lindgren is available at www.ets-lindgren.com. Additional information about ESCO and its subsidiaries is available at www.escotechnologies.com.