Expect Congress to Enact Chemical Security Rules

Few homeland security issues are receiving more attention in Congress than chemical facility security. With government reports identifying approximately 15,000 chemical facilities producing and stockpiling large inventories of dangerous chemicals, and the fear that many of these facilities are vulnerable to a terrorist attack, Congress is primed to take action. While the chemical industry has been proactive in undertaking voluntary security initiatives, the clear consensus on Capitol Hill and in the Administration is that more is necessary. It is highly likely that federal law will soon replace voluntary action to secure those facilities at greatest risk.

Chemical facilities are being portrayed as rich targets with multiple vulnerabilities. Government studies suggest that a well-coordinated attack has catastrophic potential: according to a 2003 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, a terror attack at any one of 123 facilities throughout the United States could expose