Joseph T. Burns: “I stand in support of S. 880, Fuels Regulatory Relief Act, to provide relief for small businesses and to increase…”

“I stand in support of S. 880, Fuels Regulatory Relief Act, to provide relief for small businesses and to increase security of information from potential terrorists. This bill will specifically exclude toxic flammable fuels from Section 112 of the Clean Air Act which requires businesses provide public information on stored flammable fuels and how they would respond to emergencies should a disaster occur. When the Clean Air Act was amended in 1990, Congress required the Environmental Protection Agency, under Section 112, to provide public information on a list of 100 substances which might cause injury or death to humans or adverse effects to the environment in an accident. EPA added flammable fuels to this list of 100 substances. This means that people who store and distribute flammable fuels are required to provide public information about their operations and how they would respond to an accident. These Risk Management Plans provide information on hazards associated with the fuels, safety measures and maintenance, and a worst-case scenario with an emergency response plan. This detailed information, although intended to provide citizens near a fuel facility knowledge about their local risks, also provide dangerous information to potential terrorists.”