US security regs impact to be limited - DHS

19 April 2007 00:21  [Source: ICIS news]

ARLINGTON, Virginia (ICIS news)--Only a small fraction of the sites in the US that store potentially hazardous chemicals will be subject to the more stringent aspects of the federal security regulations that take effect on 8 June, a top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said on Wednesday.

Larry Stanton, who heads the DHS Chemical Security Compliance division, said companies owning some 5,000 to 8,000 sites containing potentially hazardous chemicals will be required to electronically file "Top Screen" assessment reports within 60 days after the new regulations come into force.

Stanton was speaking at the American Chemistry Council's first ChemSecure conference.

Chemical sites will be divided into four tiers based upon risk, he said, with "only about 300" falling into Tier 1 or Tier 2, the highest-risk categories.

Overseeing these sites will be an initial force of about 40 inspectors, he said.

"Beginning in August, we will be cranking out letters to all the Top Screen respondents," he said. "The vast majority of respondents will receive letters telling them 'thank you, but for now we don't need to be doing business with you.'"

In addition, sites subject to Nuclear Regulatory Commission jurisdiction and land and sea transportation facilities will be outside the scope of the new regulations, he said.

Water transport will be under the jurisdiction of the Maritime Transport Security Administration, another arm of DHS, he said. "We are staying out of the transportation business," he added.

Stanton said that chemical sites that happen to have incidental equipment such as nuclear level gauges will still be subject to the regulations.

Also, companies will be subject to the regulations based upon the chemicals they have on site as opposed to the type of business in which they are engaged. "Our intent is to regulate the chemicals, not what is being done with the chemicals," he said.

Stanton cautioned chemical companies against attempting to use the confidentiality provisions of the new security regulations to avoid otherwise required disclosure.

ChemSecure concludes on Thursday.

By: Ed Zwirn
+1 713 525 2653

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