DHS Chemical Security Web Page Restored

Last week I noted a change in the Critical Infrastructure: Chemical Security web site that eliminated a number of valuable links. Today that web page was restored to its former state along with all of the links. The fact that neither change was accompanied or explained by an email announcing the change (I have signed up for such notifications, it’s a readily available service for selected DHS web pages may just mean that this was one of those inadvertent changes that crop up in active web sites from time to time.

The later changes to the CSAT SVA web site upon which I reported are still in place and are, to my mind, clearly intended and justified changes (well the change in SVA response time at least) to the processes. There is no change notification process for that site, but it would still have been helpful if a notice about those changes had been posted somewhere on the DHS web site (probably the CFATS Knowledge Center).

And again, the changes to the CFATS Help Desk operating hours that I reported yesterday are still in place (again for fairly obvious, if unstated, reasons).

Now I am very happy to see the information links restored to the Chemical Security web site and I’m willing to accept that that was an unintended change. The other changes, however, were intended and, if my assumptions are correct, justifiable and well intentioned. What I continue to object to is the apparent reversion to a version of the CFATS enforcement where ISCD did not talk to the regulated community.

I hope that I am wrong and the failure to communicate these changes was just an oversight.