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

  • 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