War on Terror Reaches U.S. Chicken Farms

Tens of thousands of U.S. poultry farmers could be required to register with the Homeland Security Department under a proposed antiterrorism rule, the Associated Press reported  yesterday (see GSN, March 3, 2003).

New regulations would require registration by anyone in possession of 7,500 pounds or more of propane gas, which is used to heat chicken houses during winter.

“It would affect almost all of us,” said poultry farmer Jenny Rhodes.

“I could think of a lot easier, better targets” for acts of terrorism than poultry farms, said Richard Lobb, spokesman for the National Chicken Council, which joined other poultry industry organizations in opposing the regulations.

As many as 40,000 farms could be required to register and conduct a risk assessment of their propane tanks, AP reported.  Rhodes called the forms “hellacious.”  The regulations could go into effect by the end of this month.

Registration would help Homeland Security collect important information on dangerous chemicals stored around the nation, said department spokesman Russ Knocke.  He said the online registration process would take only “a couple hours.”

The new listing would “contribute to a more universal picture of the types of hazardous chemicals out there,” Knocke said.

Several lawmakers have questioned the plan.

“Given the serious threats that are currently facing our country and the limited resources of the Department of Homeland Security, please explain why this initiative is a good use of federal dollars,” Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) said this month in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.  Both Delaware and Maryland have significant poultry sectors (Kristen Wyatt, Associated Press/Capitalonline.com, Aug. 20).

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