Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
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	Press Releases July 13, 2005   SENATORS COLLINS & LIEBERMAN QUESTION INDUSTRY AND OTHER EXPERTS ON PRIORITIES FOR FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO MAKE CHEMICAL FACILITIES MORE SECURE Senators will hold fourth hearing in series on July 27th; expects to introduce legislation in September   Washington, DC - Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) today held a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to examine the appropriate role of the federal government in efforts to better protect the nation’s chemical facilities from terrorist attacks. The Senators today sought the input of the chemical industry as well as other experts about the need for federal regulation to secure chemical facilities. Today’s hearing was the third in the Committee’s series of hearings on the issue of chemical security. Senator Collins is the Chairman and Senator Lieberman is the Ranking Member of the Committee. “It is an unfortunate fact of life that many things in this world with the greatest capacity for good, also have the greatest capacity to cause harm. Chemicals fall into that category,” said Senator Collins. “Given that the chemical industry presents both tremendous benefits as well as immense risks, it is critical that any legislation strike a carefully thought-out balance. Terrorists seek to use our infrastructure and assets to cause maximum disruption to our society and harm to our economy. In our search for a solution to the threats we face, we must be careful not to accomplish the terrorists' objectives for them.” “This hearing comes less than one week after terrorists in London demonstrated yet again, their ability to attack and kill innocent civilians, to find and exploit weaknesses in our defenses. And even though the most recent incident was on attack on London’s mass transit system, it was yet another warning that we need to identify and close vulnerabilities in our own country,” said Senator Lieberman. “By any measure, the chemical industry is today one of the sectors in America most vulnerable to terrorist attacks.” At today’s hearing, key representatives of the chemical industry for the first time, expressed united support for federal legislation to regulate security at chemical facilities, including oversight and enforcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At the Committee’s last hearing, the Administration also for the first time testified publicly that it supports federal legislation to regulate security at chemical sites. Only a fraction of the nation’s chemical facilities are regulated for security by the federal government. "Many companies have recognized the need for stronger security and have already taken steps to improve security at their chemical facilities. We applaud these efforts, however, are concerned that these voluntary measures may not go far enough," said the Senators in a joint statement. “In addition, as DHS has testified at our earlier hearing, not all companies abide by such codes of conduct and a patchwork of state laws is insufficient to reduce the vulnerability of our nation’s chemical facilities to attack. It is time for us to work together with the Administration, the industry, and other interested parties to draft a bipartisan bill.” Senators Collins and Lieberman are planning to introduce bipartisan legislation to address this issue in September. The Environmental Protection Agency has cataloged some 15,000 facilities in the United States that manufacture, use or store hazardous chemicals for productive, legitimate purposes in amounts that could cause extensive harm if turned against us as weapons. DHS, using a different methodology, has identified 3,400 facilities that could affect more than 1,000 people if attacked.   ###   Printable Version   « previous Press Release next Press Release »   1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 July 2005 Press Releases June   |  August   --   2004   |  2006     July 29 - Senator Collins Stresses Need For DHS Guidance And Oversight Of Visa Security Program   July 29 - Senator Collins’ Statement On GAO’s Paul Posner   July 27 - Senator Collins To Introduce Chemical Security Legislation In Fall   July 27 - Senate Homeland Security Leaders Call For Increased Mass Transit Security Funding   July 26 - Senator Collins’ Legislation Stops U.S. Companies from Using Foreign Subsidiaries to Do Business with Terrorist States   July 22 - Senators Collins & Lieberman Criticize TSA for Violating Privacy Laws While Testing Passenger Prescreening System   July 22 - Senators Collins, Lieberman Launch Investigation into Mass Transit Security in the U.S.   July 21 - Senator Collins Says Move By China To Revalue Yuan Is Good First Step, More Needs To Be Done To Meet Fair Trade Standards   July 21 - Committee Approves Nominees For DHS IG, GSA IG, & TSA Administrator   July 20 - Feingold, Collins Provision To Watch Over Iraq Reconstruction Spending Included In Senate Foreign Ops Bill   July 19 - Senator Collins Applauds Maine Coast Guard Crew Involved In Major Cocaine Busts   July 18 - Senator Collins Announces $7.1 Million For Amtrak Security   July 14 - SENATOR COLLINS SPONSORS LEGISLATION TO ENSURE REASONABLE BORDER REQUIREMENTS FOR FREQUENT TRAVELERS TO CANADA   July 13 current Press Release   July 13 - SENATOR COLLINS’ STATEMENT ON DHS’ SECOND STAGE REVIEW   July 12 - SENATE APPROVES COLLINS-LIEBERMAN FIRST RESPONDER GRANT FORMULA, DOUBLES RISK-BASED HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING   July 11 - SENATORS COLLINS & LIEBERMAN OFFER FIRST RESPONDER GRANT LEGISLATION AS AMENDMENT TO HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS BILL   July 10 - SENATORS COLLINS & LIEBERMAN RELEASE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE SAFEGUARDS IN FEMA’S DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAM   July 1 - COMMITTEE RELEASES WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE TO COLLINS-LIEBERMAN INTELLIGENCE REFORM OVERSIGHT LETTER
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Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 340 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510