The Point Of Securing Chemical Plants Has Some Congressional Attention

Senators Vow Tougher Chemical Security

Already we are seeing some movement from squat to jump since the Dems have the lead in Congress. We are seeing some action on increasing the minimum wage, a national health care plan is back on the agenda, labor advocacy is back and some congress folks are paying attention to security at our chemical plants.

Two Senate Democrats vowed Wednesday to keep the need for stronger chemical security regulations in the public spotlight, but conceded they will not be able to change compromise legislation that conferees added Monday to the fiscal 2007 Homeland Security appropriations bill.

The spending bill includes a provision that gives the Homeland Security Department authority, for the first time, to regulate chemical facilities that "present high levels of security risk."

Sens. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., who co-wrote a chemical security bill earlier this year, said during a news conference that they will fight during the next session of Congress to pass a stronger regulatory measure. They acknowledged they face an uphill battle.

"We are certainly going to see if there is some way that we can get this back to the attention of the leadership and the attention of the Republican Party," Lautenberg said. "Our options are limited."

They acknowledged, however, that the provision agreed to by House and Senate negotiators Monday eventually will become law because it was attached to a must-pass fiscal 2007 appropriations bill to fund Homeland Security Department operations.

However, even this change in leadership cannot take the controversy away from the simple process of investigating the needs for plant security without the GOP and business lobby being a bit obstructionist in their approach. In this case, it is DHS itself--the agency that is supposed to be assuring our security--that is the wall.

Key senators are objecting to aspects of the Homeland Security Department's proposed regulations for improving security at chemical facilities, with at least two Democrats saying they plan to introduce legislation to address the issue.

Homeland Security late last month issued proposed rules for regulating security at facilities that make, process or store dangerous chemicals. The fiscal 2007 Homeland Security spending bill, signed into law by President Bush in October, gives the department authority to make such rules for the first time.

The department is accepting comment on the rules until Feb. 7, and the agency anticipates they will take effect in early April. But Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and ranking Republican Susan Collins of Maine, along with Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., object to a section that would prohibit states from having stronger laws than the federal government.

Lautenberg charged that the Bush administration and "their cronies in the chemical industry" are trying to repeal New Jersey's strong chemical security laws.

"When most of us were preparing for the holidays, the Bush administration tried to sneak chemical-industry-friendly regulations past the American people. We caught them, and now we're going to act," said Lautenberg, who was named this week to be a member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

"Pre-empting state laws, like those on New Jersey's books, will only make our people less safe," he added. "I will take every step to ensure that doesn't happen."