Greater Congressional Oversight Will Improve CFATS Implementation

Greater Congressional Oversight Will Improve CFATS Implementation

As a key congressional panel examined the implementation of the nation’s chemical security rules, the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) expressed its support for stronger federal oversight of the regulatory program while warning against overreaction in pursuit of improvements.

SOCMA believes more congressional oversight of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) will ensure that federal resources steered toward securing facilities against terrorism are used effectively.

“We have been encouraged by the progress Congress has made toward extending the existing standards,” said Bill Allmond, SOCMA’s vice president of government and public relations. “Unfortunately, that progress has not been matched by the Department of Homeland Security in its implementation of CFATS over the past year.”

The Department of Homeland Security, which administers the program, recently identified several challenges in implementing the program. Despite these hurdles, CFATS has produced positive results, such as driving facilities to reduce hazards. For example, more than 2,000 facilities since 2007 have changed processes or inventories such that they are no longer considered high-risk under CFATS.

“In pursuit of improvement, it is important for Congress to differentiate between the administrative challenges experienced by this young regulatory program and the appropriateness of the standards themselves,” Allmond said. “The solution to fixing these problems is not by abandoning the standards.”

SOCMA believes regulatory certainty over the program provided through long-term reauthorization by Congress will help protect against repeat problems in program implementation. Reliance on temporary extensions and one-year appropriations riders is not a responsible substitute for oversight, which is why we strongly support the 112th Congress’ efforts to date to ensure such regulatory certainty.

For more information, please read SOCMA’s statement on today’s House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on CFATS.

Featured

  • Making the Grade with Locks and Door Hardware

    Managing and maintaining locks and door hardware across a school district or university campus is a big responsibility. A building’s security needs to change over time as occupancy and use demands evolve, which can make it even more challenging. Knowing the basics of common door hardware, including locks, panic devices and door closers, can make a difference in daily operations and emergency situations. Read Now

  • Choosing the Right Solution

    Today, there is a strong shift from on-prem installations to cloud or hybrid-cloud deployments. As reported in the 2024 Genetec State of Physical Security report, 66% of end users said they will move to managing or storing more physical security in the cloud over the next two years. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Security Risks for U.S. Retail Chains

    Interface Systems, a provider of security, actionable insights, and purpose-built networks for multi-location businesses, has released its 2024 State of Remote Video Monitoring in Retail Chains report. The detailed study analyzed over 2 million monitoring requests across 4,156 retail locations in the United States from September 2023 to August 2024. Read Now

  • Gaining a Competitive Edge

    Ask most companies about their future technology plans and the answers will most likely include AI. Then ask how they plan to deploy it, and that is where the responses may start to vary. Every company has unique surveillance requirements that are based on market focus, scale, scope, risk tolerance, geographic area and, of course, budget. Those factors all play a role in deciding how to configure a surveillance system, and how to effectively implement technologies like AI. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure. 3

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation. 3

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3