Environmental, union, and public interest groups have called on President Obama to support legislation that would extend and expand regulations to ensure the security of U.S. chemical facilities from terrorist attack.
Public interest groups recently sent a letter urging the president to uphold his promise to support tough chemical security legislation. A separate letter from 49 other organizations was also sent, asking the administration to support two chemical security bills pending in the House of Representatives.
Existing interim chemical facility antiterrorism standards expire Oct. 4. The standards were issued in 2007 after Congress gave the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) temporary authority to regulate chemical security as part of a fiscal year 2007 appropriations bill.
Specifically, the groups are asking the president to support bills (H.R. 2868 and H.R. 3258) that would extend and expand chemical security provisions in current law.
The House Homeland Security Committee June 23 approved the Chemical Facility Antiterrorism Act of 2009 (H.R. 2868), which would give DHS permanent regulatory authority for chemical facilities. It also would extend DHS authority to wastewater treatment plants.
Citing serious flaws in current law, the groups argue that it prohibits DHS from requiring specific security measures, including the use of safer and more secure chemical processes. They also said current law exempts thousands of chemical facilities, including approximately 2,650 water treatment plants, and fails to involve plant employees in the development of vulnerability assessments and security plans.
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