It’s not the first time a decision to extend the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program has gone down to the wire – and it may not be the last – but at least the latest agreement is some positive news amid a cloud of uncertainty during the current COVID crisis.
Despite overwhelming support for a long-term deal for the security program from industry and the majority of those on Capitol Hill, CFATS received an extension of only three months and five days in March. This takes it to July 23 and the final week Congress is in session before recess in August.
Admittedly, it’s disappointing. But given the circumstances, we should consider this a win. After all, aside from the COVID-19 relief packages, nothing has been passed in recent months.
We’d have liked to see a much longer deal, but right now with so much uncertainty over everything, it’s a welcome move.
With our membership classed as essential businesses, having a security program in place that prevents an act of terror is especially important at the moment.
If CFATS sunsets, there would be no federal regulatory body overseeing high-risk chemicals from a security standpoint. That would mean there could potentially be some outliers in our industry who let their guard down during these uncertain times, making their facilities more susceptible to acts of terror, which would harm the entire industry.
CFATS reauthorization remains a priority for NACD, and we’ll continue our advocacy efforts over the coming months to ensure the program doesn’t lapse in July.
We simply can’t let that happen. It’s incredibly important that this protection remains in place. If you’re an NACD member, I encourage you to use our ChemReACTions portal to contact your Senators and Member of Congress to urge them to support a clean, multi-year reauthorization of CFATS.
The COVID crisis and the fact that Congress isn’t present in Washington D.C. makes it tough to envision consensus on a long-term agreement this year, but we remain confident of achieving that all-important two-year extension in the future.
We know there’s great demand for certain chemicals for sterilization and hand sanitizer right now, so risking the security of chemical facilities would be a great disservice to the nation.
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