NACD Members Visit Congress and Regulatory Agencies On Behalf of Small Business

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week, NACD's two government affairs committees visit Washington DC from around the United States to speak with Congress and the regulatory agencies making their views known on a variety of issues including chemical security, the reform of the toxic substances control act (TSCA), tax reform and several transportation issues.

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Each January, the two committees, namely the Government Advocacy Committee and the Regulatory Affairs Committee, travel to Washington DC to hold their annual planning meetings. The committees meet individually and together to set their priorities for the coming year, to review current proposals in the regulatory and legislative arena and to advocate on behalf of the NACD membership, the majority of which is small businesses.

On Tuesday morning, several of the Regulatory Affairs Committee members submitted comments before the White House Executive Order on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security listening sessions.  Doug Brown, president, Brown Chemical Company; Jeanette Glose Partlow, president, Maryland Chemical Company; and Jennifer Gibson, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs all provided oral testimony before the committee.  "As you consider various options for modernizing the chemical regulatory system…..I urge you to carefully examine the current system to make sure that the regulations are clear and consistent, and that compliance assistance is part of the solution," stated Doug Brown in his comments. While Jeanette Glose Partlow emphasized, "I would like to specifically comment on two areas – the importance of LEPCs in preparing for and responding to potential chemical incidents and the need for regulatory clarity and certainty, particularly for a small business like mine."

On Thursday morning, members of the Government Advocacy Committee will be on Capitol Hill meeting directly with Congressmen to discuss proposed bills and their potential impact on chemical distribution operations, including the General Duty Clarification Act of 2013 (H.R. 888), the Chemical Safety Improvement Act of 2013 (CSIA) (S. 1009), and a bill to reauthorize the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS).

NACD and its over 420 member companies are vital to the chemical supply chain providing products to over 750,000 end users. They make a delivery every eight seconds while maintaining a safety record that is more than twice as good as all manufacturing combined. NACD members are leaders in health, safety, security, and environmental performance through implementation of Responsible Distribution, established in 1991 as a condition of membership and a third-party verified management practice. For additional information on our members, their safety record or NACD, visit NACD at www.nacd.com.

Contact: Caitlin O'Donnell
703/527-NACD(6223)

SOURCE National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD)