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AWWA: Chemical security bill needs local decision power
The American Water Works Association advises Congress that any new chemical security legislation should reflect the need for local water experts to make key treatment decisions and protect sensitive information from non-essential personnel
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Chemical plant securityGrowing demand for chemical plants to switch to IST
A 2008 analysis estimated that seven of Clorox’s bleach plants placed a total of nearly ten million people in the United States at risk from chlorine gas release; Clorox announced last year that it was phasing out processing chlorine gas into sodium hypochlorite in its plants; trouble is, Clorox consumes only about 1 percent of the chlorine gas used each year in the United States, thus, the overall impact of Clorox's positive move on the country’s risk is minimal
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Chemical plant securityNew survey shows many water, wastewater plants improve chemical security
New study says 554 drinking water and wastewater plants in 47 states have replaced extremely hazardous substances with safer and more secure chemicals or processes; at least 2,600 additional water and wastewater facilities still use large amounts of chlorine gas
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Dissenting voicesChemical facility security bills would limit local control
Water industry insider says that a new bill, creating new chemical security requirements for drinking water utilities, would shift control over security and emergency measures in water treatment facilities from local authorities to the federal government; he is not sure this is a good idea.
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Chemical plant safetyHouse tightens chemical plant safety bill
A House bill is set to tighten some provisions of the original chemical plant safety bill of two years ago; specifically, the House bill demands that chemical plants be obligated to replace the most toxic and volatile -- and, hence, the most dangerous -- chemicals they use in their operations with safer substitutes -- but in a nod to the chemical industry, the bill focuses only on the highest-risk plants, and it would make them use safer chemicals or processes only when DHS determines that they are feasible and cost-effective
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Clorox announces plans to transition U.S. operations to high-strength bleach
In an important step toward better chemical plant safety, Clorox says it will begin modifying manufacturing processes in its U.S. bleach operations; the company will move from chlorine to high-strength bleach as a raw material for making its namesake bleach
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Cost versus safety debated at Albany, N.Y. chemical plant location
Greenpeace backs federal proposal for tougher chemical plant safety rules, but an Albany firm -- and the chemical industry more generally -- fear expense
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70,000 evacuated amid Texas chemical facility fire
Fire at a chemical storage warehouse in Bryan, Texas has prompted the evacuation of about 70,000 people; officials plan for the evacuation of students at Texas A&M University in nearby College Station
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House panel votes for mandating safer technology at chemical plants
In a setback to the chemical industry, the House Homeland Security Committee approved a bill yesterday that could make chemical facilities use safer technologies and open them to civil lawsuits when they violate regulations
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Chemical industry urges Congress not to alter chemical facility security law
The Chemical Facility Security Act of 2006 introduced federal seafety standards to govern chemical plants, but also contained major concessions to the industry; the industry wants Congress to reauthorize the act without alterations
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Rules about hazmat trains worry Pennsylvania officials
Officials in Pennsylvania's York and Adams counties are uneasy about the prospect of having hazardous material roll through their counties
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Chemical company wants to limit disclosure on plant explosion
An explosion in a chemical plant in West Virginia plant killed two employees and raised fears about the safety of chemical plants located near residential areas; the plant owner, citing a terrorism-related federal law, is trying to limit what the federal chemical safety agency can disclose to the public
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CSC to help combat cyber warfare
Cyberattacks pose a major threat to the welfare and security of developing countries; developing protection against that threat offers business opportunities
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Hill committees put authorization, chemical security bills on top of agendas
Top House and Senate Homeland Security committees staffers say their top priorities would be authorization of DHS budget and chemical plants safety measure which may include "inherently safer technologies"
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Trains carrying hazmat collide in Minnesota
At least 40 cars were derailed and some went into the Mississippi River in an early morning crash in southeast Minnesota; liquid ammonia and propane are leaking from some of the cars
The Long View
New CFIUS regulations
CFIUS issues final regulations governing national security reviews of foreign investment in the United States
