New federal watchdog report underscores communities need safeguards from chemical disasters caused by extreme weather FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2022 PRESS CONTACT: Erin Fitzgerald, Earthjustice Press Secretary, efitzgerald@earthjustice.org WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report published yesterday finds that commercial and industrial facilities are currently exposed to present-day risks of natural hazards and that one-third […]
Read MoreCoalition Press Releases & Statements
We maintain a list of chemical facility incidents since April 2020 here. Below, you will find joint statements and press releases from members of the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters. Please also take a look at the Coalition resources, which include reports, press releases and blogs from individual Coalition members, as well as archival materials.
Disaster at Winston-Salem Fertilizer Plant Unacceptable, Unnecessary, and Entirely Preventable
The Biden Administration and EPA Must Act Now to Prevent Chemical Disasters FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Feb 2, 2022 Joint Statement of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Center for Progressive Reform, Coming Clean, Earthjustice, Public Citizen, and Sierra Club A fire that erupted Monday night at a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, NC continues to burn […]
Read MoreThe Environmental Justice Health Alliance and 58 other organizations submit public comments urging improved Risk Management Plan rule
59 organizations representing fenceline, community, worker, environmentaljustice, business, conservation, science, health and other constituencies affected by chemicaldisasters and EPA’s Risk Management Plan (RMP) regulation and program, manydisproportionately impacted by chemical hazards and incidents, submitted these comments on July30, 2021 in response to Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OLEM-2021-0312.
Read MoreChemical Facilities Must Hold Public Meeting After an Incident with Offsite Consequences
Action Alert: March 15, 2021 – A new federal requirement that Risk Management Program facilities must hold a public meeting within 90 days of any reportable chemical incident with offsite consequences is now in effect. More details are available here.
Read MoreCoalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters Denounces Repeal of Chemical Disaster Prevention Rule
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 21, 2019 Media Contacts: Environmental Justice Health Alliance: Michele Roberts, (202) 704-7593, mroberts@comingcleaninc.org; or Eric Whalen, (971) 998-8786, ericwhalen@comingcleaninc.org BlueGreen Alliance: Abby Harvey, (202) 706-6904, aharvey@bluegreenalliance.org Paul Orum, independent expert on chemical facility safety, (202) 507-3211, paul_orum@yahoo.com Trump Administration Rollback Will Lead to More Chemical Disasters Worker and Community Advocates Denounce […]
Read More40,000+ People Urge EPA To Take Chemical Disasters Seriously, Require Safer Alternatives To Save Lives
[Washington, D.C.] – Representatives of The Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters gathered outside the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) federal offices to present comments from over 125 organizations and 40,000 members of the public gathered over the preceding 60 day comment period. Responding to EPA’s proposed “Modernization of the Accidental Release Prevention Regulations,” people from across […]
Read MoreCoalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters Testifies at EPA
Leaders from from EarthJustice, Greenpeace, Moms Clean Air Force and the Union of Concerned Scientists were among members of the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters who testified at EPA’s March 29th hearing on the Agency’s newly proposed chemical plant safety rules. In the picture are: Logan Sheehan, Liam Sheehan, Trisha Sheehan, Wiebke Simmons, Jessica Hodge, […]
Read MoreEPA Proposed Rule: A Missed Opportunity to Prevent Plant Chemical Disasters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE EPA Proposed Rule: A Missed Opportunity to Prevent Plant Chemical Disasters (Washington, D.C. – February 26, 2016) – The Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters issued the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed “Modernization of the Accidental Release Prevention Regulations under Clean Air Act.” As a result of […]
Read MorePoll Shows Bi-Partisan Support for New Rules to Prevent Chemical Disasters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Poll Shows Bi-Partisan Support for New Rules to Prevent Chemical Disasters But Will EPA Fall Short? (Washington DC—October 8, 2015)— As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers new chemical plant safety rules, a new national survey of likely 2016 voters shows strong support among Democrats, Republicans and Independents for policies that would […]
Read MoreTwo Years After President Obama Directed Action, Federal Agencies Are Still at the Starting Line
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2015 Two Years After President Obama Directed Action, Federal Agencies Are Still at the Starting Line New Data from the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters Show 431 Chemical Releases or Explosions, Causing More than 82 Deaths and 1,600 Injuries Since April 2013 On the second anniversary of President Obama’s […]
Read MoreCoalition Response to EPA and OSHA’s Voluntary Chemical Disaster “Alert” Calls on President Obama to Issue Enforceable Requirement
In response to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new chemical facility alert, the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters issued the following statement: Yesterday’s alert from the EPA & OSHA will not protect workers or communities from chemical disasters. Two years after the fatal West, TX fertilizer explosion, we […]
Read MoreWe All Live in Bhopal: Commemorating 30 years of the Union Carbide Disaster in Bhopal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 01, 2014 CONTACT Jayshree Chander, MD, MPH, 415-320-1538, beyondholistic@gmail.com We All Live in Bhopal: Commemorating 30 years of the Union Carbide Disaster in Bhopal Berkeley, CA – San Francisco Bay Area residents will come together December 1 – 8th to commemorate 30 years of the Union Carbide Gas Disaster in […]
Read MoreDuPont’s La Porte, Texas Plant, Kills 4 Workers and Leaves a Fifth Worker Hospitalized
On Saturday, November 15, a deadly chemical gas leak at DuPont’s La Porte, Texas plant claimed the lives of four workers and injured a fifth worker who is currently hospitalized. It was reported that an estimated 100 pounds of methyl mercaptan was released. Mercaptan is a chemical used to make insecticides and is also used […]
Read More30 Years After the Chemical Disaster in Bhopal: 100 Million Americans Remain at Risk, Obama EPA Could Prevent Disasters But Must Act Soon
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR PRESS CONFERENCE CALL ON: 11:30 AM (EST) Tuesday, November 25, 2014 CONTACT FOR DIAL-IN INFO: Ross Adair, 646-517-1810 ross.adair@berlinrosen.com <mailto:ross.adair@berlinrosen.com> Washington, DC*– December 3rd, 2014 will mark the 30th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster, a deadly gas leak that claimed the lives of more than 20,000 people. Although the 1990 Clean Air Act empowered […]
Read MoreObama’s Executive Order to Improve Chemical Facility Safety, One Year Later
The Center for Effective Government recaps one year later after President Obama’s Executive Order and where things stand with requiring inherently safer systems throughout chemical plants and chemical storage facilities. By Amanda Frank – Policy Analyst working with the Open Government and Regulatory Policy teams. One year ago today, President Obama issued Executive Order 13650, […]
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