Facilities take steps to stop using hazardous chemicals

Across the country, 14,000 chemical plants, manufacturers, water utilities and other facilities store and use hazardous substances that can injure or kill employees or residents if suddenly released. To make matters worse, the facilities have become terrorist threats, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

But a survey by the Center for American Progress has found that many of these facilities have stopped using the chemicals, which promotes safety for employees and their communities. The survey found that:

* 284 facilities in 47 states have switched to less hazardous chemicals or moved them to safer locations
* facilities reported replacing gaseous chlorine, ammonia and sulfur dioxide, among other chemicals
* as a result of these changes, at least 30 million people no longer live under the threat of a major toxic gas cloud from these facilities

Despite this progress, thousands of facilities that could switch to safe alternatives haven’t done so. Several thousand water treatment plants still use chlorine gas. The CAP believes that removing such hazards should be a national priority, but no federal law or regulation requires hazardous chemical facilities to use readily available alternatives.