BNA's Web Watch - Chemical Plant Security

Federal Government
Federal Register
The Department of Homeland Security Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards; Final Rule
Interim final rule.

Pending Legislation
H.R. 1530 Chemical Facility Security Improvement Act of 2007
To provide that no Federal funds may be used by the Secretary of Homeland Security to approve a site security plan for a chemical facility, unless the facility meets or exceeds security standards and requriements to protect the facility against acts of terrorism established for such a facility by the State or local government for the area where the facility is located, and for other purposes.
Status
Summary

H.R. 1591
Title: Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes.
Status
Summary

S. 965
An original bill making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes.
Status
Summary

Congressional Hearings
Senate Committee On Environment And Public Works
Subcommittee Field Hearing to examine the importance of state and local authorities in ensuring chemical plant security. Monday, March 19, 2007

Majority Statements
Frank R. Lautenberg

Minority Statements
James M. Inhofe

Opening Remarks

Panel 1
Robert Menendez - Senator U.S. Senate
Donald M. Payne - Representative U.S. House of Representatives
Frank Pallone - Representative U.S. House of Representatives

Panel 2
Larry Stanton
Susan Bodine

Panel 3
J. Christian Bollwage Mayor - Elizabeth, New Jersey
Dr. Stephen Flynn
Rick Engler

Panel 4
Jon Corzine Governor State of New Jersey

Congressional Research Service Report
Chemical Facility Security: Regulation and Issues for Congress (January 31, 2007)
Chemical Facility Security

Comments Of Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Rep. James Langevin (D-RI), Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA),
On Department of Homeland Security Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Docket No. DHS-2006-0073, 71 Federal Register 78275 – 78332, Published Dec. 28, 2006.

Government Accountability Office
HOMELAND SECURITY DHS Is Taking Steps to Enhance Security at Chemical Facilities, but Additional Authority Is Needed (January 2006)

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
BP America Refinery Explosion Texas City, TX, March 23, 2005
Final Investigation Report
Report of the BP Independent Refineries Safety Review Panel (Baker Panel Report)

Nongovernment Organizations

Center for American Progress
Toxic Trains and the Terrorist Threat: How Water Utilities Can Get Chlorine Gas Off the Rails and Out of American Communities. (April 2, 2007)

Council on Foreign Relations
Chemical Plant Imbalance (December 11, 2006) Prepared by Eben Kaplan

Targets for Terrorists: Chemical Facilities Author Eben Kaplan, Assistant Editor (December 11, 2006)

Chemical Industry Awaits New Plant Site Security Rules
Contributed by Cynthia A. Challener, Ph.D. Principal Consultant, C&M Consulting

Greenpeace Toxics
Greenpeace's critique of Homeland Security's flawed chemical security proposal

National Research Council