What Will Protect 110 Million Americans, Create 8,000 Jobs & Stimulate Local Economies?

Independent analysis of House passed bill (H.R. 2868) concludes bill will create 8,000 jobs and leverage nearly $2 billion in economic stimulus

Legislation to secure U.S. chemical plants and prevent catastrophic chemical disasters that put millions of American at risk is threatened by unsubstantiated claims by opponents that disaster prevention standards will eliminate jobs and hurt the economy

WASHINGTON, July 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Greenpeace contracted Management Information Services, Inc. (MISI) to conduct an independent economic analysis of the Chemical and Water Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2868) adopted by the House on November 6, 2009. The MISI analysis thoroughly rebuts claims by opponents of this legislation.  MISI shows that the House bill will actually create 8,000 jobs and leverage nearly $2 billion in economic stimulus.  Furthermore, the two sectors of the economy that will benefit the most are the chemical industry and publicly-owned water treatment plants.  

MISI concluded, "The gross jobs impact attributable to the legislative initiative is forecast to stay at around 8,000 every year through 2020...In summary, the analysis suggests that H.R. 2868 will have a slight positive impact on the U.S. economy and a small increase in net employment nationwide. In addition, the legislation will place thousands of employees and millions of U.S. residents in a vastly safer environment."

Summary & full report:

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/assets/binaries/summary-of-h-r-2868-jobs

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/assets/binaries/chem-security-bill-will-create

http://www.misi-net.com/publications.html

Central to this debate is whether to require disaster prevention policies that eliminate catastrophic risks through the use of safer, more secure chemical processes. At least 284 chemical facilities have converted to safer chemical processes which have eliminated theses risks to 38 million people. Yet 300 U.S. chemical plants together put 110 million Americans at risk of a poison gas disaster whether triggered by terrorism or accidents.  

H.R. 2868 would make the highest risk chemical plants subject to conditional requirements to use safer chemical processes. Very similar legislation was introduced in the Senate today by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).  The overall spending levels ($840 million) in the Lautenberg bill are identical to the House bill in the first year. The Lautenberg bill allocates more of this funding ($525 million) toward conversion of high risk chemical plants and continues those levels through 2015.  A blue-green coalition of 90 organizations supports this legislation.

SOURCE Greenpeace