Tag: Chemical facility anti-terrorism standards

  • Greenpeace and allies again attack Koch Industries

    Last week saw the release of two reports criticizing Koch Industries for its opposition to heavy-handed regulation of the chemical industry.

  • Chemical security legislation update

    The United States Congress is considering legislation to improve the safety of chemical plants. While a noble goal, this regulation has the potential to actually decrease chemical plant safety while increasing costs and destroying jobs at the same time.

  • Chemical safety bill testimony heard

    This week the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs heard testimony on S.2996, titled “Continuing Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Security Act of 2010.” This bill would extend the effective date of current chemical security regulations until 2015.

  • Citizen lawsuits won’t enhance chemical safety

    Legislation currently under consideration in Congress will allow citizens to sue the Department of Homeland Security if they believe that chemical plants are not in compliance with new regulations. The new regulations — IST, or Inherently Safer Technology — are troubling enough, in that they may actually work against their stated goal of safety. Allowing…

  • Chemical plant security should be based on technology, not politics

    As Congress considers legislation that would force our nation’s chemical plants to make expensive changes in their processes and technologies, we need to make sure that we don’t cripple our economy just to appease a small group of environmental activists — all in the name of purportedly greater safety. That’s the danger we face from…

  • Chemical security bill passes committee

    On Tuesday, the United States House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee passed H.R.2868, the “Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009.” This bill contains provisions for Inherently Safer Technology (IST). These regulations seek to force companies to replace existing methods and raw materials with those deemed to be safer. But the legislation may…

  • Good news on chemical security

    There’s been some good news from Congress recently about Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, or CFATS.

  • Inherently Safer Technology (IST) not always that

    The problem is that chemical manufacturing and processing is a complicated matter, and mandates that force the use of one chemical instead of another can have consequences that lead to less safety.

  • Homeland Security may impose new regulations on agriculture

    At the Kansas Meadowlark, there’s some video about Chemical facility anti-terrorism standards.