Unbelievable: @Arkema_Inc is refusing to release its Tier II chemical inventory or it's facility

[bathroommonkey76]

map. Citing terrorism threat.

Link to tweet

[KT2000]

1. chemical cos have power

if you an ER doc treating a person for poisoning from a suspect product, a call to the manufacturer of the product to find out what is in it will get you nowhere. It is their right to keep private their ingredients even if it means someone will die.

People sickened by chemicals in commercial products will rarely get anywhere with toxic tort claims. The court rules have been stacked in their favor for decades. Arkema will be held liable for nothing as in the case of so many other situations. A classic case is being played out now for workers at the Hanford Reservation.

[Stargazer99]

3. The stark reality is that this country does not value human life if it not rich

you are expendable to money and corporate power
This damn country exposed me to radiation when I was not even 7 yrs old and did't tell me about it until I was 60 yrs old (too damn bad I lived long enough to be informed). Human life if you are not well heeled means nothing despite of the "moral" bathers by Republicans.
What a farce!

[Cicada]

2. ISIS will boat to exploding burning site to steal common chemicals?

They opposed regulations requiring them to publish the chemicals on site. Some darn dogooders thought neighbors had a right to know. The company thought they might get not-in-my-backyard complaints, durn hippies saying it might blow up in a flood or something. And their justification for not publishing was that terrorists, ISIS, Sierra Club etc might then steal their dangerous chemicals. So now they have to stick to their cover story.

[procon]

4. Profits over people.

The costs of Texas' shortsighted no regulation policies continues to ripple outward. The effects on residents, first responders, and the impact on public services from displaced and injured people will cost hundreds of thousands of $$$. That company will walk away scott free while the bulk of the costs is hitting taxpayers from other states as Federal agencies step into the gap.

That's just not rigtht.

[Gothmog]

5. Greg Abbott approve this procedure

Greg took a ton of money from chemical companies. Greg is an asshole

[SalviaBlue]

6. More like a threat to Arkema's ability to commit terrorism.nt

[Lee-Lee]

7. Release to who? Government and responders will already have it

[Eliot Rosewater]

8. They do? How do we know that?

[Lee-Lee]

10. If you have ever worked around this stuff you would know

Every industrial facility has what are called Pre-Plans on file with the local FD. They list all chemicals, all buildings right down to the location of the doors and windows at each one. A facility like that will have its own industrial fire brigade in house that coordinates and trains with the local departments on responses.

It's not only an OSHA requirement for them to have a fire prevention plan on file that coordinated with the local fire department, it's going to be mandated and inspected by their insurance carriers.

The law about disclosing what's in the facilities everyone is all worked up in a fuss about, but none evidently have read or comprehended, says that they don't have to release it to the public and restricts the agencies who are given it from disclosing publicly. They are actually required to give it to all agencies that have a need, it's just that those agencies are prohibited from just throwing that information out anywhere and everywhere publicly.

[Eliot Rosewater]

11. Texas also? The Texas fire dept, state, etc., all have this info?

As far as I know OSHA would not have the details on the chemicals, that they require safety precautions for employees is true but it likely doesnt require disclosure to anyone.

They are required to release to agencies in Texas? You sure?

I am ignoring your snark, it tells me something but not important.

[Lee-Lee]

12. Yes, I'll assure you

That the local fire departments have all that info.

I would put money up that they have even trained inside he facility and been given classes on what is in there from the people running it.

And even if you think the owners wouldn't care, doing all that kind of stuff is what can get their fire insurance premiums lowered, and lowered by even a few percent on a facikity like that can means hundreds of thousands in savings so they have a financial vested interest in making sure that they do it. Insurnace underwriters look at that and your rates are influenced to a huge degree on how prepared your local FD is to fight fires- on everything from your home to big plants.

Th idea that nobody actually responding to the fire knows what is there or that the company would refuse to tell actual responding agencies is hairbrained conspiracy nonsense from people who clearly don't have any clue or experience how any of this works.

[Eliot Rosewater]

13. You can assure me? Before this week I would have bet you money there was no law

in TX making it impossible for me to know what chemicals a plant has that is next door to my house.

As to your last paragraph, I will ignore the personal attack and ask you ONCE again, do you know for SURE that or any chemical company or any company for that matter in TX must provide that info to the fire dept, hospitals, etc?

Anywhere else one would assume you are right, that NOWHERE in America could any corp withold info from emergency services, but given what I have now learned about TX I want proof. they clearly cant be trusted otherwise.

Conspiracy? You mean where homeowners arent allowed to know what is inside the chemical plant next door?

This is about how AFTER what we now know about Texas, we cant ASSUME anything. Common sense dictates stuff that isnt always the case with them, and if they have idiotic laws like that, who else does?

[KT2000]

16. here is some truth

corporations lie
government agencies back up their lies - blackmailed with jobs leaving town and retirees dumped plus campaign donations

not conspiracy theory - have seen it first hand.

Oil/ chemical industries are one in the same. In Texas = oil rules. Skepticism is healthy in this circumstance.

[KT2000]

14. worked up in a fuss

about the fact that terrorism is being used to deny the public knowledge about what is in the air they breathe. This puts an end to liability on the part of the company no matter what they release or what accidents may happen.
I'm sure there is lots of paperwork but chemical companies have never owned up to their damage when put to the test.



tRump is dismantling EPA's Environmental Justice Dept which works with communities located near dangerous facilities - often minority neighborhoods. When a company wants to make a pile of hazardous waste they will often go to low income neighborhoods.

[gratuitous]

9. If Arkema had to follow all these regulations, someone might lose his job

And by someone, I mean Arkema's CEO.

We'll see if this utter catastrophe jolts Texans out of their slavish fealty to their corporate overlords, and gets a few of them to realize that maybe the chemical companies don't have the best interests of Texans deep in their hearts. And then gets them to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

[jalan48]

15. Corporations are people. It's beyond crazy.