Basic information is readily available through direct observation, common sense, and the telephone book. Some companies have already widely publicized worst-case scenarios. Some Local Emergency Planning Committees plan to simply post the RMP information on the Internet. People also increasingly obtain information by means such as electronic databases that quickly search thousands of newspapers for key terms. There is simply no magic curtain that can protect communities or hide hazardous facilities.
Disclosure works to reduce hazards.
An existing U.S. disclosure law, the Toxics Release Inventory, has prompted U.S. companies to claim big improvements in routine chemical pollution. Yet the Chemical Manufacturers Association is once again aggressively lobbying to impede public information. It's time for the chemical industry to stop lobbying for secrecy and accept responsibility for reducing its own hazards.