CFATS Fact Sheet Update – May 2013

Today the folks at DHS Infrastructure Security Compliance Division (ISCD) published a new version of their CFATS Fact Sheet with up to date inspection information on the Critical Infrastructure: Chemical Security web page. As promised this update provides new information about the status of the inspection process. Most of the descriptive data remains the same from the April version of the fact sheet, but the following numbers have changed (April numbers and change in numbers in parentheses):

• 44,000 (same) preliminary assessments were reviewed by DHS from facilities with chemicals of interest

• 4,351 (4,382; - 31) facilities are currently covered by CFATS

Over 3,000 (2,900; +100) facilities voluntarily removed, reduced, or modified their holdings of chemicals of interest

• 1242 (1,202; +40) visits to assist facilities with CFATS compliance

• 380 (280; +100) Security Plans authorized

• 85 (53; +32) Security Plans approved following an on-site inspection

Presumably these numbers are based on stats at the first of May. If so, the increase in the numbers of Security Plans authorized and improved are fairly impressive. The number of facilities that are no longer covered by the CFATS program could be more impressive if we were told how many were due to chemical changes vs facility closures.

What is disappointing, however, is the lack of change in the number of facilities that have submitted Top Screens (preliminary assessments). With the news about the West Fertilizer facility not having have filed a Top Screen all over the news, I would have thought that there would have been a small up-tick in facilities that had submitted an initial Top Screen. Of course it may be a little soon for that.