Senior Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Protect Chemical Facilities

WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Committee on Homeland Security
Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman
Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on
Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Chairwoman Sheila
Jackson-Lee (D-TX), and Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on
Energy and the Environment Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced H.R. 2868: The
Chemical Facility Antiterrorism Act of 2009. This vital legislation makes the
Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) permanent and enhances the
program by making facilities, as a part of their vulnerability assessments,
analyze how they can change their internal processes to reduce the
consequences of a terrorist attack at their facility.

Chairman Thompson released the following statement:

"This legislation will help ensure that this vital industry, and the
population that lives around these facilities, are safe and secure. After
years of work and discussions with key stakeholders, we have produced a
comprehensive and common-sense chemical security bill."

Chairman Waxman released the following:

"Chemical facilities are often terrorist targets because of the lethal
chemicals they use and store onsite," said Chairman Henry A. Waxman. "This
bill will protect workers at and neighbors of chemical facilities by asking
the highest risk facilities to switch to safer chemicals and processes when
feasible. I will also continue working with members of the Energy and
Commerce Committee to complete legislation to give EPA the authority to
require strong security standards for our nation's drinking water facilities."

Chairwoman Jackson-Lee added the following statement:

"I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of this important legislation that
will work to close a threatening vulnerability that was only made more real by
the attacks of September 11, 2001, and other international incidents over the
past several years. As the Chairwoman of the subcommittee with oversight over
this important program, I believe that we have worked in a bipartisan manner
with all relevant stakeholders, including DHS, to author a bill that builds on
the current program in order to best protect this Nation."

Chairman Markey released the following statement:

"By requiring the highest-risk facilities to switch to safer chemicals or
processes when it is economically and technologically possible to do so, this
legislation will make our communities less vulnerable to a terrorist-designed
Bhopal in Boston, Baton Rouge or Buffalo."

Link to legislation

Link to section by section summary of the legislation

SOURCE Committee on Homeland Security

For Thompson: Dena Graziano or Adam Comis, +1-202-225-9978; for Waxman: Karen
Lightfoot, +1-202-225-2927; for Markey: Dan Reilly, +1-202-225-2836; or for
Jackson-Lee: Dena Graziano or Adam Comis, +1-202-225-9978