Millions of casualties if chemical plants attacked

[southerngale]

I have a question. Does anyone know where to go to find out where the 123 most dangerous chemical plants are? They print this story and then leave out the most valuable information!!

US Congress warns of millions of casualties if chemical plants attacked


One day after the national terrorism alert was raised to the second-highest level, the US Congress warned that millions of Americans were bound to be severely hurt if terrorists pulled off successful attacks on just a few of 123 most dangerous chemical plants.

A report released Tuesday by Republican Congressman Billy Tauzin, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives, also points out that despite all recent efforts to bolster homeland security, nobody paid serious attention to the ticking time bombs that the plants have become.

"To date, no one has comprehensively assessed the security of chemical facilities," complained the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress that conducted the probe.

The math is simple.

A total of 15,000 chemical plants scattered around the country produce, use or store 140 hazardous substances that could cause deadly harm to local populations if released into the environment, according to US government estimates.

Many of them are located in densely populated areas and could serve as targets for terrorist seeking to cause mass casualties.

In fact, an attack on any of the 123 most dangerous facilities could create "worst-case scenarios" in which more than one million people would be at risk of exposure to escaping toxic gas, the GAO pointed out.

A further 700 plants, if attacked, could each potentially threaten at least 100,000 people in their surrounding areas, and yet another 3,000 plants would endanger at least 10,000 local residents, the investigators warned.

A study conducted by the US Army in 2001 found that it was conceivable that as many as 2.4 million people could request medical treatment if a terrorist caused a release of a toxic chemical.

The United Stated hiked its color-coded terrorism threat level to "orange," or high, late Monday, after President George W. Bush issued an ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his sons to leave the country within 48 hours or face a US-led invasion.

This is one notch below code "red," which reflects a severe terrorism threat.

[Guest]

Southerngale - you know Baytown is in the heart of the chemical plant mecca - I'm here by Exxon - live by Bayer and Hwy 225 has more plants than I can count which includes those on the Ship Channel.

I agree with you - where are the ones at?

Patricia

[streetsoldier]

The ones that cause me alarm here in the Bootheel are (a) Monsanto and (b) Ralston-Purina plants, both located upriver on the south side in St. Louis; (c) Anheuser-Busch also has their plant in the same area and could conceivably contribute chemical hazard to the water, but the terrorists would have to have an intimate knowledge of the brewing process to avail themsleves of that possibility.

The Monsanto plant is the one that would do the greatest harm downriver, if attacked.

[Aslkahuna]

has more than its fair share of same and they have been a concern for years-not because of terrorist strikes but because of earthquakes. Ammonia and Chlorine are two of the most common chemicals and the former is nasty enough but the latter is extremely dangerous-in fact, Chlorine was used as a weapon in WWI.

Steve

[Rainband]

What causes me alarm is printing these stories gives ideas???? I know they may already have plans but I think sometimes they say too much IMHO.



Johnathan

[southerngale]

What causes me alarm is printing these stories gives ideas???? I know they may already have plans but I think sometimes they say too much IMHO.



Johnathan

I know exactly what you mean. I read articles all the time where they give a scenario and then say something like, "that is where we are at our weakest." Hey, shut up! Don't you think the terrorists read the paper and watch the news too???