The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has raised a pressing alarm to Congress, urging the immediate reauthorization of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program. Highlighting the critical role of this program in shielding the nation against potential terrorist assaults on its chemical sector, CISA underscored the significant lapse in security following the program’s expiration four months ago, leaving the industry vulnerable for the first time in 15 years. Kelly Murray, CISA’s associate director for chemical security, emphasized the indispensable resilience provided by CFATS to the chemical industry.
This program enables chemical facility owners and operators to comprehend the risks associated with their chemical security holdings, formulate comprehensive site security plans, conduct necessary inspections, collaborate with local law enforcement and first responders, and continually reassess security measures. The absence of CFATS has led to concerning implications, with over 200 new facilities acquiring hazardous chemicals and potential accumulations of chemicals at alarming levels, heightening the vulnerability to terrorist attacks.
The lapsed CFATS program has resulted in significant setbacks, with CISA unable to vet approximately 36,000 sector employees against the Terrorist Screening Database and missing hundreds of crucial site inspections. This lapse in oversight has hindered the identification of security gaps and necessary remediation measures, posing severe risks. Beyond physical security concerns, the chemical sector’s reliance on computer systems accentuates the critical cyber element of the CFATS program, underlining the imperative to reinstate its authority to ensure comprehensive protection against potential threats, both physical and cyber, to the nation’s critical infrastructure.
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