Nearly 36,000 US sites do security registration

26 February 2008 22:05  [Source: ICIS news]

WASHINGTON (ICIS news)--Nearly 36,000 US chemical facilities have finished or soon will complete registration under the new antiterrorism site protection regulations, a top federal official said on Tuesday.

 

Robert Stephan, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, told a House oversight hearing that the “top screen” registration process should be completed by 22 March for 35,800 sites covered under the new chemical facility antiterrorism standards (CFATS).

 

Under the standards, any US facility that produces, uses, stores or handles threshold amounts of any of some 300 hazardous chemicals is required to complete the on-line top screen registration process.

 

The department will use that data to determine which facilities will qualify as “high risk” sites that pose significant potential for offsite casualties if targeted by terrorists.  Those facilities will be required to conduct vulnerability assessments and then develop and implement site security improvements meeting department approval.

 

In comments prior to the hearing, Stephan said he expects his department will begin sending notices out by the end of March to an estimated 5,000 chemical facilities that are likely to qualify as high-risk sites.

 

Once notified of their high-risk status, those facilities’ operators will have to begin the vulnerability assessments and security improvements.  Stephan said his office has already begun an aggressive recruitment effort for investigators and agents who will conduct on-site audits of facilities that are designated as high-risk sites.

 

Originally, the department had estimated that as many as 40,000 US facilities would likely be required to complete at least the top screen registration process.  Stephan said that while only some 36,000 facilities have registered or are in the process of registering, that figure is within the estimated population range.

 

However, he said, the department soon will begin a survey of federal and state regulatory agencies and local first responder agencies - such as police and fire departments - in an effort to identify chemical facilities that have failed to register.

 

Any facilities that should have registered but failed to do so could be subject to enforcement penalties under the regulations. In addition to imposing fines for failure to comply, the department also can seek a court order to shut down a noncompliant facility.

 

Stephan testified at a hearing called by the House Homeland Security Committee to consider legislation that would expand and toughen antiterrorism site security regulations.

ICIS Copyright © Reed Business Information 2009

Author: Joe Kamalick
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