The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program statistics as of June 6, 2013…
- 44,000 preliminary assessments were reviewed by DHS from facilities with chemicals of interest
- 4,331 facilities are currently covered by CFATS
- Over 3,000 facilities voluntarily removed, reduced, or modified their holdings of chemicals of interest
- 1253 visits to assist facilities with CFATS compliance
- 469 Security Plans authorized
- 125 Security Plans approved following an onsite inspection
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to strengthen security at the Nation’s high-risk chemical facilities through the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program.
CFATS Has Made our Nation and Communities More Secure
The CFATS program identifies and regulates high-risk chemical facilities to ensure they have security measures in place to reduce the risks associated with these chemicals. Many regulated facilities are part of the chemical sector – which employs nearly 1 million people and earns revenues between $600 billion and $700 billion per year. Other types of facilities with high-risk chemicals include universities, oil and natural gas operators, and hospitals. The majority of facilities with high-risk chemicals are privately owned, requiring DHS to work closely with the private sector and industry to assess risks, implement protective programs, and measure effectiveness.
Security at High-Risk Facilities Must Meet Risk-Based Performance Standards
The CFATS regulatory program uses a dynamic multi-tiered risk assessment process to identify and regulate high-risk chemical facilities by requiring them to
meet and maintain performance-based security standards appropriate to the facilities and the risks they pose. DHS chemical security inspectors work in all 50 states to help ensure facilities have security measures in place to meet CFATS requirements.
DHS Conducts Extensive Outreach and Education with Chemical Facilities
The program helps educate facility owners and operators on the risks of the chemicals they possess and appropriate security measures to reduce those risks. CFATS has encouraged many facilities to voluntarily eliminate, reduce, or modify their holdings of certain chemicals of interest in order to reduce the number of high-risk facilities.
Regulating the Highest-Risk Chemical Facilities
CFATS is the first DHS regulatory program focused specifically on security at high-risk chemical facilities. Federal law authorizes DHS to regulate security at chemical facilities that it determines are high-risk. DHS determines a facility’s initial risk profile by requiring facilities in possession of specific quantities of specific chemicals of interest to complete a preliminary risk assessment. Facilities initially determined by DHS to be high-risk must complete and submit a Security Vulnerability Assessment. If DHS makes a final determination that a facility is high-risk, the facility must submit a Site Security Plan for DHS approval or an Alternative Security Program that includes security measures to meet applicable risk-based performance standards established by DHS.
Chemical Security is not Restricted to Traditional Chemical Manufacturers
The majority of the first 100 approved security plans (26%) were at semiconductor manufacturing sites, but approvals were also completed for chemical and non-chemical manufacturing facilities, distribution warehouses, industrial gas plants, research and development facilities, waste management facilities, food processing plants, pest control facilities, and one university.
CLICK HERE for the official notice.