ACC Takes Issue with Greenpeace Approach to Chemical Facility Security

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has come out strongly against Greenpeace's stance to ban certain chemicals in order to improve chemical facility security. "We disagree with the notion you can secure all facilities by simply requiring them to use different chemicals. Experts agree an effective security plan addresses potential security vulnerabilities while at the same time taking into account other important considerations like protecting jobs, managing environmental concerns and ensuring worker safety. Ironically, some of the 'solutions' Greenpeace touts are more energy intensive and produce more waste."

In support of its stance, the ACC points out that since 2001, its members have invested more than $8 billion on facility security enhancements under ACC’s Responsible Care Security Code®, an aggressive plan adopted by its members to further enhance security of facilities, communities and products.

To further their position, ACC praised the effectiveness of the latest federal regulations, such as the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS). "Under CFATS, any facility that fails to act can be fined and/or shut down by DHS. The rules require chemical facilities to address a wide range of threats, such as preventing a bomb-laden car from reaching a target, or preventing the theft or diversion of materials from a site.

"By not boxing facility operators into a singular approach for securing their facilities, the rules encourage operators to consider and implement a wide array of security measures from process changes to hardening their facilities.

"For example, since DHS began implementing CFATS the number of high risk facilities has been reduced from 7,000 sites to 6,000--a majority of these facilities have done so through changes to their processes."

ACC went on to state that they are currently working with Congress to support passage of S. 2996, the "Continuing Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Security Act of 2010" bipartisan legislation that focuses on thwarting terrorism while helping to secure more than 10,000 jobs in Delaware that depend on our industry.

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