CSS '03: ACC chief says industry must tout security role

17 June 2003 19:39  [Source: ICIS news]

PHILADELPHIA (CNI)--US chemicals manufacturers must demonstrate their commitment to anti-terrorism security or risk "leaving the door open to attack" by industry opponents, a top chemicals business leader warned here Tuesday.

Greg Lebedev, president and chief executive of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), told some 350 industry executives gathered here for a security conference that just as the US chemicals industry has established the standard in manufacturing safety, chemicals producers are moving to establish a manufacturing standard in security precautions as well.

"Our industry acted without government to enhance the security at our facilities," Lebedev said, noting that by the end of this year vulnerability assessments at major US chemical company sites will be completed.

He credited the industry for establishing new security alliances with government at all levels and with local first-responders, "and we have taken a leading role in urging Congress to develop meaningful legislation that will enhance security."

The chemicals industry, Lebedev noted, is a critical US infrastructure, "and with that comes accountability and responsibility." The industry's security accountability "is measured by how we perform every day."

And, he said, the industry's security responsibility is to communicate its performance to the public while also "keeping critical information from falling into the wrong hands."

Lebedev spoke at the opening session of the first annual US Chemical Security Summit (CSS), which is being co-sponsored by ACC. Lebedev termed the three-day CSS here "a very important conference."

The CSS is co-sponsored by the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (Socma).

By: Joe Kamalick
+1 713 525 2653

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