Executive Order Number Thirty-Nine Creating Task Force On Responsible Management Of Facilities Handling Hazardous Products
WHEREAS, the Metachem facility in Delaware City, Delaware ceased operations in May, 2002; and
WHEREAS, the State of Delaware may ultimately spend millions of dollars to remediate hazardous substances at the Metachem site as a result of the company’s abrupt cessation of operations; and
WHEREAS, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control provided regulatory oversight for a number of activities and processes at Metachem prior to its cessation of operations; and
WHEREAS, an examination of the Metachem situation offers the State of Delaware an opportunity to develop processes and policies to mitigate or avoid similar liabilities in the future;
I, RUTH ANN MINNER, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, DO HEREBY ORDER ON THE 28TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2003:
1. The Task Force on Responsible Management of Facilities Handling Hazardous Products is hereby created.
2. The Task Force shall report to me by April 15, 2003 on the following:
a. the conditions that led to the Metachem situation and whether it could have been avoided;
b. corrective actions necessary to prevent this situation from happening again; and
c. a process for identifying other high-risk Delaware industrial facilities which if closed or abandoned would leave the State (and/or Federal government) with the costs for environmental clean-up).
3. Task Force members shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
