ACD Press Release

Arlington, VA –Today, the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) joined eleven industry groups in sending a letter to Congressional leadership urging the swift renewal of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program after Congress failed to reauthorize it by July 27, 2023.

In the letter, the group highlighted the threats to our nation’s high-risk chemical facilities following the program’s expiration and underscored the successful history of the program, as follows:

“In light of the horrific terrorist attacks in Israel, the loss of the CFATS program’s critical tools and safeguards relied upon by high-risk chemical facilities to better secure themselves against potential acts of terror is even more troubling. The National Terrorism Advisory System, an alert system of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is maintaining its warning that the United States remains in a heightened threat environment. Additionally, DHS and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued “public safety concern” bulletins to state and local law enforcement agencies following the devastating attacks in Israel.

“As you are aware, the CFATS program’s primary mission is to help reduce the risk of a terrorist attack on the highest-risk chemical facilities by addressing a wide range of potential terrorist threats. For the past 16 years, DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has worked with large and small companies to develop a program recognized as the global standard for chemical security.”

The letter concluded, “We strongly urge the Senate to immediately approve legislation to reauthorize the CFATS program to ensure that chemical facilities across the country and the communities where they operate can remain secure against potential threats.”

To read the full letter, click here.

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NACD and its over 400 member and Affiliate companies are vital to the chemical supply chain providing products to over 750,000 end users. NACD members are leaders in health, safety, security, and environmental performance through implementation of Responsible Distribution, established in 1991 as a condition of membership and a third party-verified management practice. For more information on NACD, visit www.nacd.com.