Following unanimous passage in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) of chemical security legislation, National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) President Chris Jahn issued the following statement:
"NACD commends the members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for their support of the substitute amendment offered to H.R. 2868, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act, by Ranking Member Susan Collins. The Senator’s amendment extends the current chemical security program for three years and does not impose impractical inherently safer technology (IST) mandates on facilities. The unanimous bipartisan vote in favor of the Collins amendment is a clear demonstration of support for allowing the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) to continue to be implemented without disruptive changes.
CFATS has been in effect for just more than three years. Chemical facilities are still receiving their final risk tier assignments under this program, while thousands have submitted site security plans that are now being evaluated by the Department of Homeland Security. The three-year extension would provide more regulatory certainty to the facilities now working hard to implement their site security plans. Unlike the version of H.R. 2868 passed by the House of Representatives late last year that imposes inherently-safer technology mandates and other significant changes to the current program, the HSGAC bill would promote increased security by allowing the current CFATS program to continue to be implemented without disruption.
NACD will urge the full Senate as well as the House to adopt the chemical security legislation as passed by the HSGAC Committee today. This is common sense, bipartisan legislation that will truly enhance security."
NACD was the first chemical trade association to approve new security measures, as part of its management program, Responsible Distribution and has developed a security vulnerability assessment that specifically addresses security issues relevant to chemical distribution facilities. NACD members have invested millions of dollars and substantial resources to safeguard their facilities and the transportation of their products.