DHS SPEAKS TO CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Abstract

THE LONG ROAD to federal regulations on chemical plant security takes a major turn this month, as tens of thousands of facilities that use or manufacture chemicals register and report to the Department of Homeland Security on their potentially dangerous chemicals as required. At a three-day conference last month, top officials from DHS told hundreds of plant operators and security managers what they can expect. Over the next several months, they can expect a lot. Since the interim final regulations on chemical plant security were published in April, DHS had also proposed a list of chemicals and quantities that must be reported to the department if any are used by a facility. This so-called Appendix A will be finalized soon, and its publication in the Federal Register will be the catalyst kicking off a sequence of assessments required by the security regulations. The final result will be individual site-security plans for facilities that present a ...