Greenpeace activists called out Rep Peter King on his role preventing crucial chemical security laws this morning on Capitol Hill. The activists held up a banner in front of Rep. King reading “Chemical Security Hijacker Peter King” during today’s legislative markup of HR 901 the “Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards Authorization Act”. The activists also handed King a letter explaining his role in hijacking chemical security legislation.
“Representative Peter King and fellow Republicans have hijacked chemical security and left Americans at risk of a poison gas disaster,” said Rick Hind, Greenpeace Legislative Director. “A terrorist attack or accident at one of these high risk chemical facilities could release poison gases that can kill or injure thousands of people in minutes. This bill would delay closing security gaps and disaster prevention until at least 2018.”
The Republican legislation ignores the Department of Homeland Security’s request for authority to require safer technologies at dangerous chemical facilities, as well as disregarding the blue-green coalition of more than 100 unions, environmental and health organizations representing millions of American workers and concerned citizens that oppose the bill. A letter detailing the groups’ otoxicspposition to the bill was delivered to Congress this week.
Greenpeace’s action labeling King is the first in a new web series, “Chemical Security Hijackers” to highlight the role of key politicians, chemical industry lobbyists, and corporate CEOs in blocking comprehensive chemical security legislation. Rep. Peter King’s Chemical Security Hijacker profile details how the Congressman’s position on Inherently Safer Technology has flip flopped in recent years. He now supports the approach favored by chemical and oil industry lobbyists that would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from requiring any specific security measure, including safer technologies. The Chemical Security Hijacker profile also documents that King took $69,050 from the chemical and oil industries between 2006-2010 according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Rep. Peter King is not the only responsible for hijacking chemical security policy, stay tuned as Greenpeace reveals who they are.
