Statement of
U.S. PIRG Public Health Advocate Liz
Hitchcock
We applaud Chairman Thompson and the Committee for
taking action to protect our communities from dangerous chemical plants. As the
Congressional Research Service report released today shows, one hundred
facilities endanger more than a million people in the event of an accident or
attack; more than 7000 facilities endanger thousands.
Safer and cost-effective alternatives are already in use
for many of the most dangerous chemicals. We should not tolerate unnecessary
risk to millions of Americans when we know that we can do
better.
The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008 begins
to address the deficiencies in chemical plant safety and security, and should
continue to improve in today’s markup in the Homeland Security Committee.
We strongly support the bill’s requirement that
facilities use safer technologies, such as the use of safer chemicals, to reduce
the consequence of a chemical release. Requiring companies to use safer
chemicals, particularly when safer and cost-effective technologies are
available, is the common-sense way to make chemical plants safer and more
secure. We applaud the Committee for rejecting amendments that would have
weakened this critical provision.
We look forward to working with the Committee to pass
legislation that replaces dangerous chemical operations with feasible safer
technologies, integrates employee participation in safety and security
initiatives, and protects the ability of state and local governments to
implement more stringent health, safety and security
requirements.
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