These are positive actions designed to combat the attacks from Congress. The NELC report found that industry and government are focused on responding to accidents after the damage is already done, rather than preventing them in the first place. NELC and PIRG called for actions to promote Inherent Safety prevention, which means redesigning industrial processes to be safer and finding alternatives to toxic chemicals. The groups also called on Congress and the President to establish the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board with sufficient funding to investigate the underlying causes of chemical accidents. The time has come for companies to stop downplaying toxic risks and start giving complete information about potential accidents and other toxic hazards they create.
Citizens have a right to know what dangers exist and what specific prevention actions are underway.
NELC noted that the report vastly underestimates accident risks because data on many chemicals and facilities is not accessible. Also, NELC chose assumptions for atmospheric and facility conditions that would result in low vulnerable zone estimates.