Opinion | Can we Afford the Risk? Measuring the cost of the Expiration of the Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards Program

Summary:

The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, which was established in 2007, has expired on July 28, 2023. The program was designed to guard against the threat of terrorist exploitation of dangerous chemicals and has been responsible for improving security at high-risk chemical facilities by an average of nearly sixty percent over the past 15 years. Since the program's lapse, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is no longer able to conduct inspections, enforce security measures, or vet individuals with access to dangerous chemicals against the Terrorist Screening Database. This has resulted in over 25,000 individuals with access to dangerous chemicals not being vetted for terrorist ties. The program's effectiveness is well-documented, and industry leaders and Congress have supported its reauthorization. Dr. David Mussington, Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security at CISA, urges Congress to act swiftly to reauthorize the CFATS program to protect the nation's communities and families from the threat of chemical terrorists.