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Chemical plant security bill reintroduced

Emergency Management Alert, January 22, 2003

Sen. Jon Corzine, D-NJ, reintroduced a bill January 14 to increase security at U.S. chemical plants to reduce the threat of an intentional release of toxic chemicals by terrorists, according to Global Security Newswire.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee had approved the proposed Chemical Security Act unanimously last July, but the full Senate failed to act before the congressional session ended. The reintroduced bill has only a few changes, such as replacing references to the Office of Homeland Security with the term "Homeland Security Department." No hearings on the bill are scheduled yet, according to a Corzine spokesman.

The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Homeland Security Department to identify high-priority chemical plants based on the chemicals they produce or store and their proximity to populated areas. Once they identify such plants, the two agencies must craft regulations requiring the plants to develop vulnerability assessments and implement response plans. Plants would have up to one year after the regulations' release to develop the assessments, and up to 18 months to complete response plans.

The bill envisions plants working with local law enforcement and first responder units to develop their required assessments and plans, which the two agencies would review. The EPA and Homeland Security Department could issue orders to correct any deficiencies and to impose fines and penalties on plants that fail to comply. The vulnerability assessments and response plans will not be publicly available.

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-NJ, plans to reintroduce a companion bill in the House of Representatives in the next few weeks.

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