"An analysis by the Department of Homeland Security found 272 chemical plants nationwide at which an attack or accident could affect at least 50,000 people and an additional 3,400 plants at which more than 1,000 people were at risk," reports the New York Times. Moreover, "the Bush administration, the chemical industry, Democrats, Republicans and environmentalists" agree that "voluntary measures put into place by the industry after the 2001 terrorist attacks are not enough." So why is there a "fierce struggle" in Congress over industry oversight language for the Homeland Security budget bill? Strong lobbying by the chemical industry, which is claiming "that Democrats and environmentalists are trying to hijack what had been an antiterrorism matter and use it to advance their own agenda," which they say includes reducing use of highly toxic chemicals. The Hill profiles lobbyists on chemical security issues, including from such industry mainstays as the American Chemistry Council and American Petroleum Institute.

Following sharp criticism from Britain's Royal Society, Exxon Mobil says it is reviewing which of the groups "that challenge the scientific validity of concerns about global warming" it will continue to fund. Exxon gave at least $6.8 million to nonprofit groups in 2005, including the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which recently ran "television ads that argued that carbon dioxide, widely seen as the main global-warming gas, is helpful." The Royal Society, made up of Britain's leading scientists, took the "unprecedented step" of writing to Exxon to demand the oil giant stop funding groups that have "misrepresented the science of climate change by outright denial of the evidence." The Society also criticized Exxon's "corporate citizenship reports," which claim that "gaps in the scientific basis" make it very difficult to link climate change and human activity. In the Guardian, George Monbiot writes about the history of corporate climate change denial, going back to the PR firm APCO, Philip Morris, PR Watch "usual suspect" Steve Milloy and his front group, the Advancement of Sound Science Coalition.

 

On September 5, 2006, President Bush nominated Mary Peters as Secretary of the Department of Transportation. PR firms should be thrilled. During her short tenure as head of the Federal Highway Administration she made plans to spend an average of $8 million for the services of private PR firms, including almost $3 million a year to "advertise visually-appealing highways and routes." Despite a chorus of criticism, Peters is holding firm to her belief that the plan, which was written with PR as its base, is critical to "position the brand" and "develop a core identity." If Peters is confirmed as Transportation Secretary she will succeed Norman Mineta, the final member of Bush's Cabinet who was a Clinton appointee.