As part of a national campaign to raise awareness about chemical security issues, the environmental group Greenpeace today warned that six industrial facilities in Maine each pose a disaster risk to 10,000 or more local residents. The group is hoping those facilities will either choose, or be forced, to switch to safer chemicals, and adopt new processes that would be less vulnerable in the event of a terrorist attack.

While airport and nuclear power plants have tightened security since September 11th, there are still just over 6,000 so-called "high-risk" chemical facilities in the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The facilities are identified as such because they use, store or manufacture toxic chemicals such as chlorine.

Greenpeace and other groups say that a terrorist attack could release the chemicals and pose a danger to local residents.
"One out of every three Americans and tens of thousands of Mainers live under constant threat of an accident or attack at a chemical facility. Many of them suffer that risk completely needlessly," said David Pomerantz, of the Boston office of Greenpeace.

Pomerantz traveled to Bangor to speak outside the office of Sen. Susan Collins. He says Greenpeace is asking her to support legislation that would require some facilities to convert plants to safer chemicals or processes.

"These risks are unnecessary and easily removable," he said. "At least 287 chemical facilities around the country have eliminated the risks by converting to safer, cost-effective chemicals. At least seven of these safer, converted facilities are located here in Maine. They include water facilities in Portland, York, Auburn and Lewiston, and they also include a paper mill in East Millinocket."

But Pomerantz pointed the finger at six facilities in Maine for allegedly containing dangerous toxic chemicals that threaten 10,000 or more local residents. They include the Westbrook Energy Center in Westbrook; Domtar paper company Baileyville; Old Town Fuel and Fiber in Old Town; a Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Lewiston; and the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation in South Portland.

Pomerantz was joined by Mike Belliveau, director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center in Maine. Belliveau says the largest high-risk plant in Maine is the GAC or Calpine facility in Searsport.

"GAC Corporation, that's a chemical manufacturer that uses chlorine gas and anhydrous ammonia. If that chlorine was released in an accident or through a terrorist act, 145,000 Mainers in a 25-mile radius could immediately become injured and even killed through this toxic gas cloud rolling through our neighborhoods," Belliveau said.

Pomerantz says Congress needs to do more to address this issue, particularly by strengthening national security standards for chemical facilities. He supports upcoming companion legislation to the Chemical and Water Security Act of 2009.

"This legislation is based in sound common sense," he said. "It would require all plants to evaluate safer chemical processes, and would conditionally require the 107 highest risk plants around the country to use safer, cost-effective chemicals and technologies."

Senator Collins introduced legislation last month that would reauthorize a 2007 law that gives the Department of Homeland Security authority to increase and enforce security standards at high-risk chemical facilities.?

The senator released a statement today saying, "Some special interest groups want Washington to dictate specific industrial processes for manufacturers to use."?She says "that makes no sense at all" and that the federal government does not have the expertise to tell manufacturers precisely how to meet the security standards.

When asked for comment, the American Chemistry Council says it believes Senator Collins' legislation will be effective because it provides the Department of Homeland Security sufficient time to implement strict regulatory standards.

GAC and four of the other businesses listed as dangerous on Greenpeace's list did not return calls for comment by airtime. A Walmart spokesman says he cannot comment because he is not aware of hazardous chemicals in the Lewiston distribution facility.