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

  • Cloud Adoption Gives Way to Hybrid Deployments

    Cloud adoption is growing at an astonishing rate, with Gartner forecasting that worldwide public cloud end-user spending will approach $600 billion by the end of this year—an increase of more than 21% over 2022. McKinsey believes that number could eclipse $1 trillion by the end of the decade, further underscoring the industry’s exponential growth. Read Now

  • AI on the Edge

    Discussions about the merits (or misgivings) around AI (artificial intelligence) are everywhere. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find an article or product literature without mention of it in our industry. If you’re not using AI by now in some capacity, congratulations may be in order since most people are using it in some form daily even without realizing it. Read Now

  • Securing the Future

    In an increasingly turbulent world, chief security officers (CSOs) are facing a multitude of challenges that threaten the stability of businesses worldwide. Read Now

    • Guard Services
  • Security Entrances Move to Center Stage

    Most organizations want to show a friendly face to the public. In today’s world, however, the need to keep people safe and secure has become a prime directive when designing and building facilities of all kinds. Fortunately, there is no need to construct a fortress-like entry that provides that high level of security. Today’s secured entry solutions make it possible to create a welcoming, attractive look and feel at the entry without compromising security. It is for this reason that security entrances have moved to the mainstream. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • 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

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings. 3

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction. 3