The Economic Impact of a Terrorist Attack on the Twin Ports of Los Angeles—Long Beach

Because of its size, visibility and diversity, the Los Angeles metropolitan region is a prime target for a terrorist attack. There are many specific targets, the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), downtown high rises (with the highest skyscraper – the US Bank Tower – west of the Mississippi), its theme parks (Disneyland, Universal Studios) its freeways (some of the interchanges have the highest traffic densities in the United States), and its ports. This chapter has developed a spatially disaggregated economic impact model that can evaluate all of these and other plausible attacks. As a representative example, the chapter considers a moderate radiological bomb (so-called dirty bomb) attacks at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Because these two ports handle almost half of the United States seaborne international trade, any disruption of their trade is likely to have major economic impacts. However, this kind of attack is not the most dangerous imaginable, because it would involve destruction of infrastructure. Many of the impacts would be more psychological, and much would depend on the length of time before the authorities thought it safe to reopen the ports. Accordingly, the scenarios presented also include simultaneous attacks on freeway access to the ports that would magnify the adverse economic impacts. These would not only delay the emergency response but would also stretch out the disruption period because it would take a longer time to rebuild destroyed bridges (or construct temporary bridges), and the alternative routes (in the port access region) available are few and would be highly congested.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.e-elgar-environment.com/Bookentry_Main.lasso?id=3783
• Corporate Authors:

  Edward Elgar Publishers

  William Pratt House, 9 Dewey Court
  Northampton, MA  United States  01060-3815
• Authors:
  • Gordon, Peter
  • Moore, James E
  • Richardson, Harry W
  • Pan, Qisheng
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 262-286
• Monograph Title: The Economic Impacts of Terrorist Attacks

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Economic impacts; Marine terminals; National security; Port congestion; Terrorism
• Identifier Terms: Port Security Assessment Program
• Uncontrolled Terms: Terrorist incidents
• Geographic Terms: Long Beach (California); Los Angeles (California)
• Subject Areas: Economics; Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01023219
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 1845423011
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 25 2006 2:09PM