SOCMA Applauds Advancement of Chemical Safety Bill

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) expressed its support for the final version of H.R. 4007, the "Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) Program Authorization and Accountability Act of 2014," which passed out of the House Homeland Security Committee today.

The bill, introduced by U.S. Representative Patrick Meehan (R-PA), now has a clear path to the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote.

"With today's bipartisan vote, we are one step closer to success on this important legislation," said Bill Allmond, SOCMA's Vice President of Government and Public Relations.  "Most bills never make it out of subcommittee 'purgatory,' and we appreciate how seriously Homeland Security Members on both sides of the political aisle have taken this issue."

H.R. 4007 is a multi-year authorization that will allow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to continue working with facilities on successful implementation of CFATS.  In turn, the bill also allows businesses affected by these standards—like many in the specialty chemical industry—to make appropriate logistical decisions and investments in order to successfully comply with the law.

"SOCMA members want to be CFATS compliant, but they also want certainty for the sake of their business practices," Allmond said.  "This bipartisan bill will provide our members the confidence they need to continue implementing CFATS without having to worry about the future of the program."

Kate Donahue, a member SOCMA's Board of Governors and President of Hampford Research, Inc., testified before the Subcommittee on the merits of CFATS reform in late February on behalf of the specialty chemicals industry.  In her testimony, Donahue emphasized chemical companies' desire to be compliant with the law.

"Responsible companies like Hampford want the CFATS program—but we want a stable and predictable program," Donahue said.

SOCMA echoes this sentiment and is hopeful H.R. 4007 remains on a smooth course to final passage.

A full copy of Donahue's testimony is available here.

A copy of H.R. 4007 is available here.

About SOCMA
SOCMA is the only U.S.-based trade association dedicated solely to the batch, custom and specialty chemical industry. Visit www.socma.com.

Contact:
Jennifer Drogus
Senior Manager, PR and Media
(202) 721-4182
[email protected]

SOURCE Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates

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