EPA Drops Plan to Put Disaster Data on the Web
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency has dropped its idea of posting potential disaster casualty figures for chemical plants on the Internet, bowing to concerns that the information would aid terrorists.
“The EPA and FBI recognize that chemical facilities may be a target for terrorism even without the sensitive data on the Internet,” the EPA wrote in a letter this month to House Commerce Chairman Thomas Bliley (R-Va.).
The Associated Press reported Oct. 30 that the FBI, the CIA, the National Fire Chiefs’ Assn. and lawmakers, including Bliley, had been raising concerns for nearly a year about the Internet plan for distributing the “worst case scenario” data. The EPA, however, appeared reluctant to drop the concept.
The intelligence community was concerned that putting the data on the Internet might give terrorists a road map for targeting facilities for the most catastrophic attacks. Environmental groups strongly advocated disclosure of the information, saying it was important for people who live near plants to know potential dangers.
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