The Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) is voicing concern about a Senate bill PMAA believes will be punitive toward petroleum marketers, according to association information. It would place criminal and civil penalties on marketers whose tank trucks or other vehicles carrying hazardous materials are procured by a terrorist for a terrorist activity. PMAA’s reason for serious concern is that the bill broadly outlines "substances of concern" (of which petroleum would be included) and allows both civil ($25,000 per day) and criminal penalties ($2,500 to $25,000 per day/$50,000 for a second offense) in the event that a criminal act is committed with such products.
Sponsored by Jon Corzine (D-NJ), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), James Jeffords(I-VT), and Barbara Boxer(D-CA), the bill would also cover bulk plants targeted for terrorist activity and require marketers to create "buffer zones" between the product and various entities, including transportation routes, according to PMAA. The bill was approved by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works July 25 with little opposition by either Democrats or Republicans, PMAA says.