Bush Administration Joins Industry to Block Anti-Terror Regulation of Chemical Plants

Source: The Huffington Post



Thomas B. Edsall
The Huffington Post •
Bush Administration Joins Industry to Block Anti-Terror Regulation of Chemical Plants

June 18, 2007 10:46 AM


For nearly seven years, the chemical, oil and gas industries have successfully fought proposals to require stringent anti-terror security measures at facilities storing poisonous materials such as chlorine and methyl mercaptan.

These industries have been especially opposed to legislation requiring "inherently safer technology," a policy industry officials and the Bush administration view as both setting an excessively high standard and as leaving companies more vulnerable to lawsuits for failing to comply.

The chemical, oil and gas lobbies have successfully fended off regulation even under a Democratic Congress. A provision adamantly resisted by the industry was included in the first Iraq supplemental appropriation, which was vetoed by President Bush. The House added it again to the second Iraq supplemental appropriation, but it was quietly removed during final negotiations between top officials of the House and Senate at the request of Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, whose staff said he was acting at the behest of the White House.



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/06/18/bush-administration-joins_n_52606.html

would think that these would be the first places that we'd protect.

Puts the lie to the old war on terra.

:grr:
bush doesn't want to take any real steps towards protecting us, because those steps might negatively impact his rich buddies bottom line.

The lives of American citizens are not even a factor.
We are expendable.

fuck they think is going to buy their corporateshit when we're all expended?!

those from another country and faith who seek my destruction

or

those sworn to uphold the constitution of this country and to protect and defend the country who make decisions which puts said constitution and country in mortal danger.

:grr: That turned out just fine, huh? :grr:

The article doesn't give details, but just what are the chemical companies being asked to do that's so terribly, horribly onerous? (Note hint of sarcasm.)

I mean, the airlines fought against installing doors, for cryin' out loud. Went on and on, hyperventilating that it would be the death of the industry. As they do every time some sort of regulation is proposed.

Well, boys... how'd that 9/11 thing work out for the airline biz? Seems the horror of watching the planes impact, of watching the towers come down, of watching the bodies pulled from the rubble in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania... seems it put kind of a damper on the public's enthusiasm for air travel.

And... it led directly to a whole host of new regulations on the industry. Doesn't anybody learn? Waiting to act until after the disaster is far more costly -- in lives as well as dollars -- than doing that "voluntary self-regulation" thing we hear so much about. Which, as is painfully plain to see, is nothing but lip-service.

:crazy:

with the kind of security needed.....that would actually stop domestic terrorism, when you think about it!

No bodies were found at all.

:grr:

How to do that, I'm not sure, though.

doesn't he?

over having more than 3.4 oz of contact lens solution in our suitcases, but leave our chemical plants alone and let those chlorine tanks just sit there waiting for an attack!

And we all know how that lobbying success turned out.

:shrug: