November 19, 2007. In an article entitled Activists fight chemical lobby on security, Donal F. Nicolai, president and CEO of Kuehne Chemical stated "Let’s face reality. Sitting where we are sitting, it’s a legitimate concern. So is there a benefit to reducing or eliminating that? Absolutely." Nicolai is referring to the option of retrofitting its South Kearny chemical plant to produce chlorine on site rather than transporting liquid chlorine to the plant by railcar. In August, KOTW suggested that Governor Jon Corzine spend the money he was earmarking for repairs to the Pulaski Skyway to the Kuehne Chemical plant. Our exact words were, "If the State of New Jersey is thinking of spending $1 billion dollars to secure the Pulaski Skyway it should divert that money to help Kuehne Chemical retrofit its South Kearny plant to make it as safe as its Delaware plant".  It appears that it won’t take $1 billion dollars but $111 million dollars to accomplish the task. There should be no greater priority for Governor Jon Corzine than accomplish the task of securing the funds necessary from the federal and/or state (New Jersey and New York) government to accomplish the task.. As we previously stated in our opinion piece, the Kuehne Chemical plant is far more dangerous to the public than a collapse of the entire Pulaski Skyway. KOTW urges Mayor Alberto Santos and council members to lobby Governor Jon Corzine to insure that Kuehne Chemical obtains the necessary funding to retrofit its plant so that a potential disaster is avoided.

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