Preventing Toxic Terrorism: How Some Chemical Facilities Are Removing Danger To American Communities
Executive Summary
Across the country, some 14,000 chemical plants, manufacturers, water
utilities and other facilities store and use extremely hazardous
substances that can injure or kill employees or residents in nearby
communities if suddenly released. Approximately 450 of these facilities
each put more than 100,000 people in harm’s way.
The
Department of Homeland Security and numerous security experts have
warned that terrorists could turn hazardous chemical facilities into
improvised weapons of mass destruction. Some of these facilities have
replaced acutely hazardous chemicals with safer, readily available
alternatives— making themselves less appealing terrorist targets, while
also removing the ever-present danger of a serious accident. At these
facilities, no failure in safety or security can send a catastrophic
gas cloud into a nearby community.
The Center for American
Progress, with assistance from the National Association of State PIRGs
and National Environmental Trust, conducted a survey to identify such
facilities and spotlight successful practices that have removed
unnecessary chemical dangers from our communities. This survey (which
covered facilities that no longer report using extremely hazardous
substances under the federal Risk Management Planning program) found
that facilities across the country, representing a range of industries,
have switched to safer alternatives from a variety of hazardous
chemicals, producing dramatic security and safety benefits at a
reasonable cost.
Key findings from the survey include the following:
•
Some 284 facilities in 47 states have dramatically reduced the danger
of a chemical release into nearby communities by switching to less
acutely hazardous processes or chemicals or moving to safer locations.
•
As a result of these changes, at least 38 million people no longer live
under the threat of a major toxic gas cloud from these facilities.
•
Eleven of these facilities formerly threatened more than one million
people; a further 33 facilities threatened more than 100,000; and an
additional 100 threatened more than 10,000.
• Of respondents
that provided cost estimates, roughly half reported spending less than
$100,000 to switch to safer alternatives and few spent over $1 million.
•
Survey respondents represent a range of facilities small and large,
including water utilities, manufacturers, power plants, service
companies, waste management facilities, and agricultural chemical
suppliers.
• Facilities reported replacing gaseous chlorine, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide, among other chemicals.
•
The most common reasons cited for making changes included the security
and safety of employees and nearby communities, as well as regulatory
incentives and business opportunities.
• Facilities cut a
variety of costs and regulatory burdens by switching to less hazardous
chemicals or processes. These facilities need fewer physical security
and safety measures and can better focus on producing valuable products
and services.
Despite this progress, thousands of facilities
that could switch to safer alternatives still have not done so. For
example, several thousand water treatment plants, many situated in
cities and towns, still use chlorine gas. Removing such hazards should
be a national strategic priority. Unfortunately, more than four years
after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the White House and Congress have
failed to act. Currently, no federal law or regulation requires
hazardous chemical facilities to review or use readily available
alternatives.
The facilities identified by the survey show that
dramatic improvements are feasible if safety and security are given
priority (see full list in Appendix A). For example:
• The
Nottingham Water Treatment Plant in Cleveland, Ohio, now treats
drinking water with liquid bleach instead of chlorine gas; some 1.1
million people are no longer at risk of a toxic gas release.
•
The Wyandotte Wastewater Treatment Facility near Detroit, Mich.,
switched from chlorine gas to ultraviolet light; more than 1 million
people are no longer at risk of a toxic gas release.
• Manhattan
Products, in Carlstadt, N.J., now produces household cleaning products
with liquid ammonia instead of gaseous ammonia, removing the threat to
160,000 residents.
• Solae Company dba DuPont Soy Polymers in
Louisville, Ky., switched from anhydrous sulfur dioxide to the safer
sodium bisulfite for producing food products from soy; the change
removed the threat to 37,000 residents.
• Wisconsin Power’s
Pulliam Plant in Green Bay switched from anhydrous to solid sulfur
dioxide for pollution control, removing the threat to 180,000 residents.
•
U.S. Filter Recovery Services, in Roseville, Minn., changed treatment
chemicals for certain hazardous waste recovery processes; the change
eliminated the threat of a gas release to 62,000 residents.
In
some cases, facilities may be unable to identify a viable alternative
to reduce chemical hazards, but may be able to improve safety and
security by consolidating operations or relocating to a less populated
area. For example, the Niklor Chemical Company moved from Carson,
Calif., to a remote location near Mojave, removing a chlorine-gas
danger from an area of 3.5 million residents.
Adopting safer
alternatives, however, is the only certain way to prevent a
catastrophic chemical release. Many chemical facilities have already
taken this step thereby protecting millions of Americans. Millions more
could be taken out of harm’s way with a concerted national effort to
convert other high-risk facilities to safer chemicals and processes.
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