Top Bush security official lauds chemical industry

13 June 2007 17:16  [Source: ICIS news]

By Joe Kamalick

FALLS CHURCH, Virginia (ICIS news)--A top Bush administration security official on Wednesday praised the US chemicals industry for its voluntary co-operation with anti-terror measures.

He called on additional action at low-risk facilities outside the new federal regulations.

Robert Stephan, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and top federal official for infrastructure protection, said the industry was “first to the fight” in the wake of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks against the US.

“Every time we asked chemical companies and chemical sector organizations for help, you have been there, you responded,” Stephan told an audience of 400 industry executives at the fourth annual chemical security summit.

He said the chemical sector co-ordinating council - a group of 18 chemical industry trade associations formed soon after the attacks - was the first to produce a voluntary sector-specific security plan.

“Both your council and your voluntary efforts, more than $3bn (€2.25bn) worth, have served as a model for other sectors of our nation’s critical infrastructure,” he said.

This week the department began to enforce regulations that will require as many as 8,000 high risk chemical sites to develop improved antiterrorism security plans.

However, Stephan noted the industry’s voluntary efforts still will be needed at some 30,000 US chemical production, storage or transit sites outside the high risk category covered by the new regulations.

He said the industry’s voluntary security and incident response will be needed as well for natural disasters, such as the double hurricane hits that struck the US Gulf coast and much of the US chemical infrastructure in mid-2005.

Stephan spoke on the concluding day of the three-day chemical security summit, which is cosponsored by the department and 18 chemical sector trade associations.

($1.00 = €0.75)

 

By: Joe Kamalick
+1 713 525 2653

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