Highlights
– Compound 1080 is a tasteless, odorless, and colorless chemical that is considered highly toxic
– Compound 1080 is approved for limited use by US government trappers to protect sheep from predators in several states
– Concerns remain that extremists could use the substance for an attack against the homeland or Western interests
Sodium fluoroacetate, better known as Compound 1080, is a tasteless, odorless, and colorless chemical that is tightly regulated in the United States. One teaspoonful of the substance could potentially kill dozens of individuals and there is no known antidote if exposed to the chemical.
However, strict regulations regulating Compound 1080 significantly reduce the likelihood that the chemical will be easily acquired and/or used by extremists for an attack against the homeland.
History and Current Regulations
Scientists originally developed Compound 1080 for use in controlling rat populations, however, the chemical was later deemed too toxic for general distribution. In 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the chemical, when 13 individuals died after ingesting the substance. In 1985, Compound 1080 was re-approved for limited use by government animal trappers in special collars used to protect sheep in several US states. Predators, specifically coyotes, who attack the sheep, puncture the collar, releasing the chemical. According to reports, each collar contains a quantity of the chemical capable of killing six individuals.
Terrorism Concerns
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, has listed Compound 1080 as a chemical that could potentially be used by terrorists or extremists to kill individuals, to include its use in poisoning water supplies. Further, the EPA has indicated that it addresses terrorism concerns when training those who are using the special sheep collars.
A 1,000-page report issued by the chief US weapons inspector in Iraq to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) detailed Iraq’s chemical research and included a photograph of a can of Compound 1080 that was manufactured in the US. According to the report, which was released in October 2004, coalition forces discovered the can in Iraq and determined that the Iraqi Intelligence Service had tested the chemical on animals, as well as attempted to combine the substance with food to see if it altered the food’s characteristics.
Adding to concerns, federal officials discovered several years ago that the chemical has been used illegally in the Western US to kill animals. Specifically, in 2001, a governmental forensic laboratory determined that up to six wolves were illegally killed by Compound 1080 in Idaho, raising fears that hidden stockpiles, created before the tight regulations were imposed, are still in the country.
Chemical Manufactured in the US
Compound 1080 is produced at only one site in the US, Tull Chemical Co., located approximately 50 miles outside of Birmingham, Alabama. According to statements from the company, the majority of the chemical is exported to New Zealand for pest control, and the US Department of Agriculture is their only customer in the homeland. Tull maintains that the substance is dyed black, so that it would be easily detected if it were mixed with food or water supplies. In the 1980s, Tull was closed briefly after the EPA found that the company had inadequate security measures and various other safety problems. Since that time, Tull has heightened security at the site.
Outlook
Efforts remain underway by some US officials to further regulate and/or ban Compound 1080 due to the potential for the substance to be used by terrorists or extremists. In late December 2007, a bill was introduced to the US House of Representatives that would “prohibit the manufacture, processing, possession, or distribution” of Compound 1080. The legislation would also allow for the collection and destruction of any remaining quantities of the chemical. The bill was referred to the House Judiciary subcommittee on crime, terrorism, and homeland security, where it currently remains.
While a can of Compound 1080 was located in Iraq, the substance remains tightly regulated in the US, reducing the possibility that extremists could easily acquire the chemical for use in an attack against the homeland. Further, there is no known evidence indicating that terrorists have considered using that specific chemical in an attack.
However, we maintain that acquiring and using a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) weapon remains a key goal of al-Qaeda central. The group has a known interest in developing such a device. For example, prior to the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the group had several training camps in the country that focused on developing weapons using anthrax, castor oil, ricin, and other chemical warfare agents. We believe there is little doubt that the group has continued to pursue its efforts to develop the capabilities for a CNRN attack.