Feature story - November 25, 2008
On November 25, 2008, Greenpeace and a coalition of nineteen
organizations including unions, public health, good government and environmental groups submitted comments criticizing the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) latest advice on how chemical plants should comply with new chemical security standards.
Greenpeace and others warned that the new DHS guidance, "may
even be counter productive by failing to encourage facilities to
use the most protective security measures available." These
security measures include the use of safer more secure chemicals
and processes that can eliminate the risk of a catastrophic release
of poison gas following a terrorist attack. The DHS did not even
mention this as a voluntary option even though it is a central part
of legislation (H.R. 5577) adopted by the Homeland Security
Committee in March.
The DHS security standards are based on a temporary 2006 law
that is riddled with loopholes and will expire on October 4, 2009.
The law actually prohibits the DHS from requiring chemical plants
to implement the safest technologies. The law also exempts all
2,800 water treatment plants, many of which use poison gases such
as chlorine.
For example the DHS notice included a disclaimer repeated
nineteen times admitting that their advice "does not establish
legally enforceable requirements..." and that security measures
listed are "neither mandatory nor necessarily the preferred
solution."
The full proposed DHS guidance is at: http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/gc_1224871388487.shtm