[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 110 (Friday, July 30, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S9947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LAUTENBERG:
  S. 1470. A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to ensure that adequate 
actions are taken to detect, prevent, and minimize the consequences of 
accidental releases that result from criminal activity that may cause 
substantial harm to public health, safety, and the environment; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.


                     CHEMICAL SECURITY ACT OF 1999

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the 
Chemical Security Act of 1999, a bill which will address the threat of 
criminal attack on chemical facilities.
  The FBI and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have 
warned us that the possibility of terrorist and criminal attacks on 
chemical plants is a serious threat to public safety. The scenarios 
they describe are truly chilling.
  The concerns about criminal attack on chemical plants were initially 
raised in the context of Internet access to chemical accident 
information. Some were concerned that criminals could use chemical 
accident information, gained through the Internet, to target their 
attacks. In response, we will soon send a bill to the President that 
will balance the benefits of public access to chemical accident 
information against the threat of criminal attack.
  However, Mr. President, the underlying issue is not Internet access 
to such information--no resourceful criminal needs the Internet to find 
a chemical plant to attack. A chemical plant target can be found by 
driving through neighborhood, reading a city map, or accessing 
information already available from government and business sources.
  The real issue is the vulnerability of chemical facilities to 
attack--a vulnerability which can arise from a lack of adequate 
security at chemical facilities, as well as the use of inherently 
hazardous chemical operations, even when safer technologies are 
available.
  The Chemical Security Act of 1999 will directly address the potential 
danger of criminal attack on chemical facilities. First, the Act will 
clarify that it is the general duty of chemical facilities under the 
Clean Air Act to reduce their own vulnerability to criminal attack. 
Second, it will require the Attorney General, within one year, to 
determine whether chemical facilities are taking adequate measures to 
reduce their vulnerability to criminal attacks that could cause 
substantial harm to public health, safety, and environment. Third, if 
the Attorney General finds that chemical facilities are not taking such 
actions, the Act will require the Attorney General, in consultation 
with the Environmental Protection Agency, within two years, to 
promulgate regulations requiring appropriate measures to detect, 
prevent, and minimize the consequences of such criminal attack.
  Mr. President, the American public has the right to chemical 
facilities that are safe from criminal attack.
  I urge my colleagues to co-sponsor this legislation.

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