Former EPA administrator urges action on US chemical security

WASHINGTON — Former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator and New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman urged the federal government to close “gaping holes” in chemical industry regulations and to do more to protect Americans from potential terrorist attacks.

During a telebriefing sponsored by Greenpeace USA, Whitman said EPA should use existing laws to bolster its ability to prevent an accidental release of chemicals.

“Here is a gaping hole in our security,” she said. “I cannot get my mind around why we haven’t seen some action when the consequences of something happening at a chemical facility are just so potentially devastating.”