WASHINGTON, D.C.—Twelve companies each endanger more than five million Americans in the event of accidents or terrorist attacks at their chemical facilities, according to a new U.S. PIRG report.

U.S. PIRG called on these "Dangerous Dozen" to reduce the threat to communities near their facilities by using safer chemicals and processes wherever possible.

"It is unacceptable that these 12 companies endanger so many lives," said U.S. PIRG Environmental Health Advocate Meghan Purvis. "Unfortunately, the Bush administration and the chemical industry continue to oppose strong, mandatory chemical security regulations."

Across the U.S., thousands of industrial facilities owned by companies such as Clorox, Dow and DuPont use and store hazardous chemicals in quantities large enough to threaten surrounding communities in the event of an accidental release or deliberate terrorist attack. The report, "Dangerous Dozen: A Look at How Chemical Companies Jeopardize Millions of Americans," analyzes the chemical companies' own estimates submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Findings include:

• The 12 companies whose facilities endanger the most people are JCI Jones Chemical, The Clorox Company, Kuehne Chemical, KIK Corporation, DuPont, Pioneer Companies, Clean Harbors, GATX Corporation, PVS Chemicals, Dow Chemical, Ferro Corporation and Occidental.

• The 12 parent companies profiled in Dangerous Dozen own 154 high-hazard facilities in 31 different states.

• The three companies whose facilities put the greatest number of people at risk are JCI Jones Chemical, The Clorox Company, and Kuehne Chemical, which put a total of more than 20 million, 14 million, and 12 million people at risk, respectively.

• Since 1990, the National Response Center (NRC) has received more than 8,400 reports of incidents involving oil or chemical spills at facilities owned by these 12 parent companies.

The chemical industry and the Bush administration argue that voluntary industry security programs are enough to protect America from accidents or attacks at these facilities. The American Chemistry Council (ACC), a lobbying organization that works on behalf of the chemical industry, spent $4.3 million in 2002 and 2003 on in-house lobbyists, making it the loudest voice on Capitol Hill opposing strong, mandatory chemical security regulations. Six of the 12 companies profiled in Dangerous Dozen are ACC members.

"Despite lax security at many plants, the chemical industry would prefer to ignore the best way to reduce the threat these facilities pose to surrounding communities—using safer chemicals and processes wherever possible," said Paul Orum, Director of the Working Group on Community Right-to-Know.

U.S. PIRG urged the federal government to require high-hazard chemical plants to review and use safer chemicals and processes wherever possible and to enact strict security standards where safer chemicals are not feasible.

U.S. PIRG also called on the "Dangerous Dozen" companies to immediately review options for reducing hazards at their plants, to set measurable goals and timelines for reducing chemical dangers, and to support mandatory federal security standards requiring all companies to consider changing to safer chemicals and processes.

U.S. PIRG is the national advocacy office for the state Public Interest Research Groups. State PIRGs are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations.

The Working Group on Community Right-to-Know is an affiliation of public interest organizations concerned with the public's right-to-know about toxic hazards and pollution.