ABSTRACT
On June 24, 1982, the European Community (EC) adopted a "Directive on the Major Accident-Hazards of Certain Industrial Activities", more commonly known as the Seveso Directive. State regulation of the chemical industry similarly is flawed by its reliance on risk disclosure rather than prevention. This chapter examines the role that the US government should play both in preventing major accidents at chemical plants and in ensuring that communities are informed beforehand of appropriate responses to accidents that do occur. It discusses the hazards which insufficient information and planning pose to public health and the environment. The chapter describes the problems attendant to the current US approach to regulating chemical plant safety. It analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the European Directive and proposes changes to existing US legislation. The chapter concludes that US regulation should follow a prevention-oriented approach, and that the states should have primary responsibility for ensuring chemical plant safety.
