As the new home of MASSPIRG's environmental work, Environment Massachusetts can be contacted regarding this news release.
The chemical explosion early this morning at the CAI, Inc. facility in
Danvers that shook greater Boston was a serious reminder of the dangers
present in our neighborhoods.
We
are thankful that there were no casualties and grateful for the hard
work and dedication of the first responders, police officers and fire
fighters who arrived on the scene early this morning.
Unfortunately,
we may not always be so lucky. Explosions, whether accidental or
resulting from a terrorist attack, present a real and credible threat
to communities and citizens of Massachusetts. With solutions at our
fingertips, we cannot continue to gamble with our health and safety.
The
easiest and most effective way to protect residents of Massachusetts
from threats posed by chemical plants is to replace dangerous chemicals
and processes with safer alternatives. Feasible and cost effective
alternatives to many dangerous chemicals exist and are already in use
at hundreds of facilities across the country. Safer alternatives are a
commonsense way to reduce or eliminate the consequences of an explosion
or attack at these facilities. In addition, if chemical plants continue
to use dangerous chemicals, we must protect the right of communities
and emergency responders to know what is stored at chemical plants.
Congressman
Edward Markey, a champion on the federal level, has worked to promote
policies that would better protect citizens from chemical threats by
requiring chemical facilities to include in their security plan an
examination of safer technologies. High-risk chemical facilities would
be required to implement safer materials and processes where feasible.
With new leadership in Congress, we have an opportunity to move these
crucial policies and we look forward to working with Speaker-designate
Pelosi and Congressman Markey to protect our communities from toxic
threats.
