New Jersey officials announce strict new rules to better safeguard the state's many chemical plants from terrorist attack. The move comes after criticism that the state allowed the industry to set its own safety rules — rules that some believe leave the plants too vulnerable.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.  I'm Robert Siegel.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: And I'm Melissa Block.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: New Jersey has some tough new rules for chemical companies.  It has      become the first state to require chemical plants to protect themselves      and the public from a terrorist attack or a catastrophic accident.  New      Jersey announced the new rules yesterday after months of criticism that      the state relied too heavily on the chemical industry to address safety      concerns.  NPR's Nancy Solomon reports.</s>NANCY SOLOMON reporting: New Jersey has some of the most dangerous chemical plants in the nation,      and some of those are located perilously close to heavily populated urban      areas, most notably New York City.  Elvin Montero, spokesman for the      Chemistry Council of New Jersey, says the new regulations are a slap in      the face to the state's chemical industry.</s>Mr. ELVIN MONTERO (Spokesperson, Chemistry Council of New Jersey): What      we are concerned with is the end or the abandoning, if you will, of the      cooperative approach that the state and our sector shared for many years      in working together.  It gives a perception that our industry hasn't done      anything, which, in fact, in New Jersey, we've done a lot.</s>SOLOMON: Since 9/11, Montero says, chemical plants in New Jersey have      voluntarily spent millions of dollars in the form of gates, cameras and      guards.  But New Jersey will now require 140 chemical plants to evaluate      whether they can produce their products in a safer way, with different      chemicals or by stockpiling less.  This provision, called inherently      safer technology, has been the primary objection of the industry both in      New Jersey and nationally.  Fred Millar, a chemical safety expert who's      worked for environmental organizations and now consults with cities, says      it's the only way to make plants safer.</s>Mr. FRED MILLAR (Chemical Safety Expert): But it really won't happen      unless there's some government presence there because it's just really      too cheap and too easy to continue having the old situation of lots of      really toxic chemicals in storage on your facility.</s>SOLOMON: New Jersey chemical plants will now have 120 days to complete a      review of their security and chemical processes.  Governor-elect Jon      Corzine says the new regulations are a good first step, and he plans to      make them even tougher when he takes office.  For NPR News, I'm Nancy      Solomon.