• Table of Contents • cen-chemjobs.org • Today's Headlines • Editor's Page • Business • Government & Policy • Science & Technology • ACS News • Calendars • Books • Career & Employment • Special Reports • Nanotechnology • What's That Stuff?          Back Issues 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998  Safety Letters  Chemcyclopedia ACS Members can sign up to receive C&EN e-mail newsletter.   Join ACS			May 19, 2003 Volume 81, Number 20 CENEAR 81 20 p. 15 ISSN 0009-2347 GOVERNMENT & POLICY CHEMICAL SECURITY BILL STALLS Senate committee cancels vote over dispute on safer technologies JEFF JOHNSON Senators on the Environment & Public Works Committee failed last week to agree on legislation requiring chemical companies to take measures to limit the impact of a terrorist attack on a chemical plant. Inhofe ROLL CALL PHOTO/CHRIS MADDALONI Consequently, committee Chairman James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) canceled a May 15 markup hearing to allow members to amend and vote on the bill, a committee spokesman says. The differences split largely along party lines with most Democrats, joined by a few Republicans, still committed to legislation written by Sen. Jon S. Corzine (D-N.J.), which passed the committee but died on the Senate floor last year. Most Republicans, but not a committee majority, support a Bush Administration bill sponsored by Inhofe (C&EN, April 14, page 7). Both bills would require companies to determine their terrorist vulnerability and take security measures. The main disagreement, says the spokesman, is over a requirement that companies consider inherently safer technologies as an alternative to security measures. The Inhofe and Bush approach does not call for this; Corzine's does. Other disagreements are over what penalties should exist for violating the law, whether the antiterrorism plans should be held by the Department of Homeland Security or simply housed at the company, and what elements of company antiterrorism plans can be made public. Inhofe and Bush's approach leans toward less public access and allows companies to keep the plans on-site. No new markup date was set, but the Senate committee spokesman says: "We aren't giving up because it is too important an issue. We still want to get done as quickly as possible." A national approach for chemical plant antiterrorism control has been under Senate discussion for more than a year. Top Chemical & Engineering News Copyright © 2003 American Chemical Society			Advanced Options Related Stories Bush Security Bill Drafted [C&EN, Apr. 7, 2003] E-mail this article to a friend Print this article E-mail the editor
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