January 29, 2003—Up to 15,000 chemical and industrial plants nationwide may have to evaluate their vulnerability to terrorist attack and plan countermeasures in response to increased Homeland Security measures, says ENSR International. To help these facilities, ENSR, an environmental and energy services firm, has developed a phased seven-step vulnerability assessment for facilities that use, store, or transport chemicals.
Federal lawmakers are now considering two bills requiring facilities to conduct vulnerability assessments and submit site security plans to EPA: the Chemical Security Act (Senate Bill S. 157, reintroduced in January 2003) and the Comprehensive Homeland Security Act of 2003 (S. 6). Senate Republicans and industry, however, favor a self-initiated program, such as the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Program. Regardless of specific requirements, the Department of Homeland Security is expected to emphasize voluntary partnerships with industry to get security assessments and countermeasures underway as soon as possible.
High priority facilities include those with a large quantity of hazardous chemicals or petroleum products, particularly those close to population centers or critical infrastructure. In order to estimate anticipated impacts, ENSR engineers and scientists characterize varied release scenarios to evaluate the potential toxic and flammable hazard consequences. Co-author Dr. Douglas Smith pointed out that the analysis methods used are based on extensive experience with modeling tools recognized by leading chemical and engineering professionals.
Copies of “Site Vulnerability Assessments for Facilities That Use, Store, or Transport Chemicals” is available from ENSR at 800/ 722-2440.
