US security chief warns of fines, shutdowns

12 June 2007 19:05  [Source: ICIS news]

FALLS CHURCH, Virginia (ICIS news)--The top US security official warned on Tuesday that his department would not hesitate to fine or even shut down chemical plants that fail to comply with the new national mandate for antiterrorism site protection.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff offered his thanks to some 400 chemical industry executives attending the fourth annual industry security summit for the broad co-operation shown by the sector as his department developed its enforcement programme.

“I believe that most US chemical facilities are secure and that most chemical site operators recognise the self-interest that is inherent in protecting their facilities and the communities that surround them,” Chertoff said. 

“But there probably are some facilities that are not secure and these new regulations are designed to assure that we don’t have free riders, companies that are avoiding the investments and costs of protecting their facilities,” he said.

“Everyone must make these investments in security and, when necessary, we will apply the stick," Chertoff said. "We will not hesitate to enforce the law.” 

Companies that fail to meet performance-based security standards to be set by the department are subject to fines as high as $25,000 (€18,750)/day, and the department also may seek a court order to force the shutdown of a plant until its security measures are brought into compliance.

“Those who may attempt to game the system should know that we take very seriously our responsibility for enforcement,” Chertoff said.

Strict enforcement also is necessary, Chertoff said, for the sake of those chemical manufacturers who have made security investments. “It is important that those firms that are in compliance, who have made the investment, are not having to compete against companies that have not done so,” he said.

The department’s new chemical plant security regulations went into force on 8 June. Chertoff said department inspectors will begin on-site audits of the most high risk chemical facilities within weeks and that more broadly applied enforcement will be ramped up over the next several months.

Chertoff spoke on the second day of the three-day chemical security summit, cosponsored by his department and a number of chemical industry trade groups, including the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Association (SOCMA).

($1 = €0.75)

By: Joe Kamalick
+1 713 525 2653

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