Chemical Industry Calls For Improved Implementation of Chemical Security Program

“Congress and the Administration have an opportunity to build on the chemical industry’s initiatives to enhance security by improving implementation of the Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS).” That’s according to Timothy Scott, Chief Security Officer and Corporate Director of Emergency Services and Security at The Dow Chemical Company, who testified on behalf of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies.
 
Scott emphasized the chemical industry’s leadership and its collaborative approach to enhancing security by working with policymakers to achieve a common objective.
 
“Members of ACC implemented the Responsible Care Security Code in 2002 and have voluntarily and significantly improved the security of its member facilities over the past decade,” said Scott. “Since the Security Code’s inception ACC members have spent nearly $10 billion on security enhancements. We have worked with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from the beginning to make CFATS successful.”
 
CFATS has come under increasing scrutiny from Congress as implementation issues have slowed the program’s progress. Scott urged Congress and the Administration to seize the opportunity to correct implementation issues while preserving the promise of the underlying program.
  
“We now have the catalyst for change and an excellent opportunity to correct the course and complete the task at hand,” said Scott. “The concept and basic design of CFATS are solid. CFATS has potential, has already sparked some improvements in chemical security and can be developed further into an efficient, productive process to improve the security of our nation’s critical chemical industry.”
 
However, Scott said specific improvements are needed to improve the overall implementation of CFATS. Specifically, he urged DHS to implement a more workable personnel security program for CFATS facilities to properly vet thousands of employees and contractors against the Terrorist Screening Database. He also urged DHS to engage chemical facilities and their trade group representatives throughout the process to improve/revamp Site Security Plan assessments and approvals.

Scott said DHS should improve transparency by making facilities aware of how CFATS risk tiering decisions are made by the Agency and how changes by the facility could reduce their risk and lower their CFATS profile. Finally, he urged DHS to consider an alternative inspection program for lower tier facilities using accredited third-party auditors—potentially leveraging ACC’s Responsible Care Security Code Program. This would help streamline the program by lessening the burden on the DHS inspection team and allow DHS to focus resources and attention on higher risk facilities.

“This will be a difficult task, but not an impossible mission.  CFATS can work as conceived—implementation will take leadership, communication and collaboration well beyond what we’ve seen recently,” said Scott.  “We—DHS, the industry and this subcommittee—can make this work.” 

Featured

  • The Key to Wellbeing in the Office

    A few years ago, all we saw in the news was the ‘great resignation.’ Now we have another ‘great’ to deal with. According to CBRE, 2023 was the start of the ‘great return’ as office workers returned to their normal offices after working from home. The data shows that two-thirds of all U.S office buildings were more than 90% leased as of Q2 2023. Read Now

  • Failed Cybersecurity Controls Costing U.S. Businesses $30 Billion Yearly

    Panaseer recently released ControlWatch and the Continuous Controls Battle: Panaseer 2025 Security Leaders Report examining the cost of cybersecurity control failures and the impact of growing personal liability for security failings on security leaders. The report analyzes the findings of a survey of 400 security decision makers (SDMs) across the US and UK. It shows that security leaders feel under increasing pressure to provide assurances around cybersecurity, exposing them to greater personal risk – yet many lack the data and resources to accurately report and close cybersecurity gaps. Read Now

  • The Business Case for Video Analytics: Understanding the Real ROI

    For security professionals who may be hesitant to invest in video analytics, now's the time to reconsider. In a newly released Omdia report commissioned by BriefCam (now Milestone Systems), the research firm uncovered a compelling story: more than 85% of North American and European organizations that use video analytics achieve a return on investment within just one year. The study, which surveyed 140 end users across multiple industries, demonstrates that security technology is no longer just for security — it's a cross-organizational tool that delivers measurable business value far beyond traditional safety applications. Read Now

  • Survey: 54% of Organizations Cite Technical Debt as Top Hurdle to Identity System Modernization

    Modernizing identity systems is proving difficult for organizations due to two key challenges: decades of accumulated Identity and Access Management (IAM) technical debt and the complexity of managing access across multiple identity providers (IDPs). These findings come from the new Strata Identity-commissioned report, State of Multi-Cloud Identity: Insights and Trends for 2025. The report, based on survey data from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), highlights trends and challenges in securing cloud environments. The CSA is the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation. 3

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3