Wary of potential regulatory intervention, representatives from 17 U.S. chemical companies met April 11-12 at Baltimore-Washington International Airport to work on a plant vulnerability assessment program they are creating from pooled best practices.
"This is a fast-track project," says David Belonger, staff consultant with New York City-based American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Center for Chemical Process Safety. The group has been working for five months on a uniform process to help AICE’s 90 member companies assess risks, rank plant vulnerabilities industry-wide, prioritize protective steps and develop incidence response plans tailored to specific facilities.