NPGA Voices for Victory
Legislative Action Alert!
UPDATE: This hearing will be Webcast, beginning at 1pm, July 24.
The House Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, part of the House Homeland Security Committee, is holding a hearing Tuesday, July 24, 2007, at 1:00 pm EDT (information below) on the DHS Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Regulations and their effect on the private sector. This presents an excellent opportunity for our industry's issues and concerns to be raised in the hearing.
If your Congressman or Congresswoman is on this subcommittee, we urge you to call them about this hearing. The members of the subcommittee are:
Sheila Jackson-Lee, Texas, Chairwoman (202-225-3816)
Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts (202-225-2836)
Daniel E. Lungren, California (202-225-5716)
Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon (202-225-6416)
Ginny Brown-Waite, Florida (202-225-1002)
Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia (202-225-8050)
Gus Bilirakis, Florida (202-225-5755)
Yvette D. Clarke, New York (202-225-6231)
Kevin McCarthy, California (202-225-2915)
Ed Perlmutter, Colorado (202-225-2645)
Peter T. King, New York (202-225-7896)
Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi (Chairman of Committee and ex officio member) (202-225-5876)
The current DHS rules will cover all propane marketers and customers that store over 1,785 gallons of propane. Over 4,000 comments went into DHS on the propane issue specifically – that’s over 90% -- and now is our chance to raise our concerns with Congress.
When you make your calls, please feel free to use any of the following talking points:
- Propane is a very common fuel that serves millions of rural, agricultural, and small business customers. It makes no sense for the government to classify stationary tanks as security risks.
- Every propane marketer and customer facility above the 1,785 gallon threshold, regardless of rural location, type of operation, etc. would have to submit via the Internet only facility information so that DHS can determine if the facility is a security risk. DHS estimates research costs per facility to be $2,300 -3,500!
- The rule will reduce safety of propane customers. The arbitrary 1,785 gallon threshold limit will result in customer requests for more frequent deliveries of smaller amounts of propane. This means more truck travel and more fuel transfer operations – the source of most propane related incidents.
- Propane companies already work as hard as possible to meet winter heating needs. But if customers request to be kept under the threshold, this will impose dramatic new strains on the delivery infrastructure and could force companies into hiring new drivers, buying new trucks and, in some cases, retrofitting the equipment.
What You Should Do: If you Member of Congress is a member of this subcommittee, please ask them to support the propane businesses and thousands of propane customers in their districts during Tuesday’s subcommittee hearing. Remember to provide your name, address and your business information. Please feel free to use the bullet points above, as well as any other remarks you may have on behalf of your business as the basis of your communications with the Member of Congress' office.
Please act now – don’t miss this great opportunity!
Hearing details of the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, House Homeland Security Committee
"Chemical Security - A Rising Concern for America - Examination of the Department of Homeland Security Regulations and its Effect on the Public and Private Sector."
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
1:00 p.m.
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The hearing's topics are broader than just the propane industry. Witnesses scheduled to appear include:
Robert Stephan - Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Infrastructure protection (http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/biography_0091.shtm)
P.J. Crowley - Senior fellow and director of homeland security, Center for American Progress (http://www.americanprogress.org/experts/CrowleyPJ.html)
Timothy J. Scott - Chief security officer and global director, Emergency Services and Security (http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/mp/pdf/timothy_scott.pdf)
John Alexander - Specialist in health, safety and environment issues, United Steelworkers (http://www.reliableplant.com/article.asp?articleid=5930)
