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Chemical Disaster Risk
Our nation’s chemical plants and the railways that carry their products are not safe from natural or man-made disasters. TAKE ACTION by asking your U.S. Senators to support the Chemical Security Act(S. 157) and hazardous substance transportation regulations (S. 1256)
Date: 8/30/2005 11:53:57 PM ( 19 y ) ... viewed 1729 times I received an e-mail from Deena Metzger, writer, wisewoman, healer, asking for our support for two important bills being considered in the U.S. Senate: S. 157, the Chemical Security Act sponsored by Sen J. Corzine, and S. 1256, sponsored by Sen. J. Biden.
Read the Fact Sheet on Sen. Corzine's Chemical Security Act (S. 157) http://corzine.senate.gov/priorities/chem_sec.html
Newsday: Senate unanimously passes Corzine resolution
The Senate unanimously passed a resolution July 14, 2005 by Sen. Jon Corzine that calls for federal standards to protect the country's chemical plants from terrorist attacks, the first time either body of Congress has done so. Unlike past years, Corzine's bill (S.157) has a chance of getting through the Senate this Congress. Corzine, D-NJ, first introduced his chemical plant security bill October 2001, following the Sept. 11 attacks. The measure was stalled the following year by heavy opposition lobbying from the chemical industry. Corzine is also working with Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn, respectively the chairwoman and ranking member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, on a bipartisan measure on chemical plant security.
Information on S. 1256:
Title: A bill to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop regulations regarding the transportation of extremely hazardous materials.
Sponsor: Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] (introduced 6/16/2005) Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills: H.R.3510
Latest Major Action: 6/16/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
TAKE ACTION:
E-MAIL YOUR U.S. SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO CO-SPONSOR AND VOTE FOR BOTH S. 157 Chemical Security Act (Corzine) AND S. 1256 (Biden):
Go To: U.S. Senate: Senators Directory: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Sample Letter recommended by D. Metzger (cut-and-paste or do your own editing)
"I am writing to ask you to support common sense action to protect our families, our community and our health from environmental disasters due to any number of causes including hurricanes, train wrecks, explosions.
The Homeland Security Council recently estimated that if a rail car full of chemicals in Washington, D.C. exploded there could be 127,500 victims, including 17,500 fatalities. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory agrees, estimating that 100,000 people could be killed or injured in the first 30 minutes following an attack with as many as 100 people dying per second.
Almost four years after 9/11 the federal government has failed to take action on this threat. It is unacceptable to allow our communities to go unprotected any longer. Since October 2001 Senator Corzine as introduced legislation (S. 157) to prevent such disasters by converting plants to safer chemicals or technologies. Senator Susan Collins and Senator Joseph Lieberman are now reconsidering this bill. However, the oil and chemical industry is lobbying hard to ensure that this bill is killed or riddled with loopholes.
On transportation, Senator Biden has also introduced legislation (S. 1256) to prohibit trains carrying large quantities of ultra-hazardous chemicals through densely populated areas. Rerouting these trains is an essential first step with conversion of dangerous chemical plants as the long-term solution to protecting our communities.
Please let me know if you intend to support and vote for the Corzine approach of substituting dangerous chemicals for safer alternatives and if you will support and vote for the Biden bill (S. 1256).
Thank you.
(Your name
Your mailing address
Your e-mail address)"
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For more information about Deena Metger: http://www.deenametzger.com
Entering the Ghost River: Meditations on the Theory and Practice of Healing, Hand to Hand is available from Book Clearing House [800 431-1579] or http://www.book-clearing-house.com , or Amazon or order from your local independent bookseller.
Doors: A Fiction for Jazz Horn, Red Hen Press. Order from your local independent bookseller, Amazon, or Small Press Distribution, http://www.spdbooks.org Also from Red Hen, The Other Hand.
Ferocious, unwavering fidelity to the alliances with Spirit and the tasks of restoring creation: Therefore no despair. -- Krystyna Jurzykowski and Deena Metzger
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