Editorial
EDITORIAL: Protect people, not the chemical industry
The eight-year march toward an effective law to improve security at the nation's chemical plants has cleared a key hurdle, passage by the House. Now it's up to the Senate, with some help from our own senators.
It's been clear since 9/11 that a terrorist attack or horrible accident at chemical plants could release lethal clouds threatening millions. But Congress failed to take strong action.
The goal is to push the industry to lower the risks by replacing dangerous chemicals and processes with safer ones. Producers pushed back, arguing that government meddling will cost jobs. But a major manufacturer, Clorox, has just let most of the air out of that argument by announcing that it will stop using dangerous chlorine gas at its plants, without job loss.
The compromise House bill is narrowly focused, allowing the Department of Homeland Security to order safer processes only for the most dangerous 100-plus plants, only if the conversion is feasible. Even those would have an appeal process. That list of most dangerous plants is likely to include at least one of those in New Jersey that use chlorine gas and threaten millions there and in New York.
It's too bad that every House Republican who voted, including Peter King of Seaford, voted no. They should have thought more about protecting people than corporations. In the Senate, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand should work hard for a bill with the correct people-saving priority. hN
