Review - CFATS and Chemical Plant Expansions

I was reading an article last week about the expansion of a hydrogen peroxide manufacturing facility in Texas, and I thought about the security implications of such expansions, the need for an updated security plan and security planning for the construction process. That inevitably brought me back to thinking about the problems the Senate imposed on chemical manufacturers by not reauthorizing the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program last July. If the CFATS program were still up and functioning, CISA would be a partner in the security planning process for the expanding facility.

These are just some of the chemical security issues that the Senate caused by their failure to take up and approve HR 4470, the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act of 2023, that was passed in the House by a vote of 409 to 1. The Senate can solve these problems by passing HR 4470. The longer they wait, the longer it is going to take CISA to get the program back into smooth operation.

 

For a more detailed look at the security issues involved in plant expansions, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/cfats-and-chemical-plant-expansions   - subscription required.