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Sep 1, 2002 12:00 PM

The Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) is voicing concern about a United States Senate bill it 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” (which includes petroleum) 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 case 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 July 25 by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works with little opposition.