O'Malley targets hazmats.(Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley)(Brief Article)

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley is investigation ways to penalize chemical aid industrial companies that have balked at his request to tighten security around their hazardous materials.

In the wake of, September's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, O'Malley met with many of the companies handling hazardous materials in Baltimore City and pleaded with them to beef up their perimeter fencing and patrols.

Only half have complied, putting a strain on Baltimore City police officers, who are now forced to respond to the unsecure areas on a routine basis, O'Malley said in a recent interview with the Baltimore Business Journal.

It …