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Six Months After 9/11, Chemical Facilities Continue to Put Millions of Michigan Citizens at Risk from Terrorism

Coalition Calls for Reducing Chemical Hazards

March 7, 2002

For more information contact:
Detroit: Donele Wilkins, DWEJ, 313-821-1064
West Michigan: Cyndi Roper, CWA, 616-742-4084
Midland Diane Hebert, Env. Health Watch, 989-832-1694
Lansing: Vicki Levengood, NET 517-230-3968
Statewide Mary Beth Doyle, Ecology Center, 734-663-2400
Megan Owens, PIRGIM 734-662-6597

A report released today highlights Michigan’s citizens continuing vulnerability to potential terrorist attacks on chemical facilities. Thousands of Michigan citizens may be unnecessarily at risk. The coalition releasing the report called for efforts to reduce chemical hazards by requiring companies to consider "inherently safer" technologies and materials, which could reduce – and in many cases eliminate – the possibility of a significant chemical release both from terrorist attack, or from accidental releases.

The report, Protecting Our Hometowns, assesses chemical hazards state by state and makes the case for federal policy changes. The coalition also released a complementary report, the Safe Hometowns Guide, a citizens’ guide to reducing chemical hazards in communities. Community groups have targeted counties in the state with the greatest concentration of facilities, and areas housing the most dangerous facilities.

"There is still much to do to protect the people of Michigan in the wake of the attacks of September 11," said Megan Owens of PIRGIM. "One area that needs improvement is the continued storage of dangerous levels of hazardous chemicals in our communities."

The report has prompted commitments from community leaders across Michigan to take this information to their Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs), and use the Safe Hometowns Guide for a review of hazardous assessment in their communities. Community groups have targeted counties in the state with the greatest concentration of facilities, and areas housing the most potentially dangerous facilities.

"I’m taking this guide to my local LEPC next week to figure out how we can make the Midland community around the Dow and Dow Corning facilities safer," said Diane Hebert. She joins leaders in 10 other communities committed to working with their area LEPCs.

There are 264 facilities across Michigan that store hazardous chemicals in quantities large enough that they are required to submit a Risk Management Plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Of these, 67 facilities store over 100,000 pounds of an ‘extremely hazardous substance.’ Elf Atochem (now Atofina) in Riverview ranks fourth on the list, storing 4 million pounds of chlorine. Last July an accidental explosion at the Atofina plant killed 3 workers and caused the evacuation of hundreds of area residents.

"Chemical plants can and must be made to run more safely. Safer alternatives and safer technologies must be explored," said Al Cholger, Board Chair of the Southeast Michigan Coalition on Occupational Safety and Health (SEMCOSH). "Well-trained chemical plant operators, who are not being threatened with job loss and speed up, working with members of the communities surrounding the plant, are the first line of defense to increased environmental, as well as economic, security for both the workers and the communities."

In Michigan, Washtenaw County’s LEPC serves as a model. During annual facility inspections, emergency plans are reviewed, and pollution prevention and chemical use reduction opportunities are identified. And the county keeps close tabs on facilities, requiring all facilities to annually report any chemical storage over 40 pounds.

"Washtenaw County’s LEPC has benefited from the active involvement of businesses, community members and first responders," said Cindy Kenyon LEPC Information Coordinator of Washtenaw County. "We’re looking forward to working with community partners to find ways in which we can make Washtenaw County even safer from potential chemical releases."

The report cites U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documents showing that a chemical release at any one of 125 facilities nationwide could put at least 1 million people at risk; some 3,000 facilities each put 10,000 people’s safety at risk.

"More guards and higher fences alone cannot protect us," said said Donele Wilkins, Executive Director of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice "The good news is that we can reduce the chemicals at these sites, making it safer for workers and communities, and making it harder for terrorists to hurt people."

Community members will visit local LEPCs asking for action on the report in the following counties: Bay, Kent, Ingham, Macomb, Midland, Washtenaw, and Wayne, as well as LEPCs in the cities of Ann Arbor, Detroit, Grand Rapids and Romulus.

Co-releasing the report in Michigan are SEMCOSH, Clean Water Action, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, Environmental Health Watch, Ecology Center, Michigan Environmental Council, National Environmental Trust, PIRGIM, Sierra Club, ACCESS, RECAP, and the Lone Tree Council.

The Safe Hometowns Guide is available at www.safehometowns.org. The policy paper, Protecting Our Hometowns, lays out the case for a federal inherent safety program. It can be found at www.pirgim.org.

Satellite feed available: Featuring b-roll of chemical accidents, Senator John Corzine (D-NJ) author of the Chemical Site Security Act, Dr. Tee Guidotti of George Washington University, and an animation showing a plant before and after safety measure have been adopted.