SOCMA continues to push House and Senate leadership for the swift passage of CFATS reauthorization. In a joint letter with 11 trade association, SOCMA urged Congress to take action and ensure the security of chemical facilities.
Learn more about the CFATS program
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October 19, 2023
| The Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader United States Senate 322 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 |
The Honorable Mitch McConnell Minority Leader United States Senate 317 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 |
| The Honorable Patrick McHenry Speaker Pro Tempore United States House of Representatives 2134 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 |
The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries Minority Leader United States House of Representatives 2433 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 |
Dear Leader Schumer, Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry, Minority Leader McConnell, and Minority
Leader Jeffries:
On behalf of the chemical industry, we write to you to express our deep concern regarding the
expiration of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism
Standards (CFATS) program on July 28, 2023.
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
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 issued “public safety concern”
bulletins to state and local law enforcement agencies following the devasting 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.
Chemicals are used in nearly every US industry and are critical to a strong supply chain. The vital
role of the chemical industry, however, comes with unique security challenges that require
government agencies and companies to work together to stay ahead of the ever-evolving threats
facing our nation. And those threats are real and show no signs of diminishing.
When authorized, the CFATS program promotes security by providing threat assessment information,
guidance to companies about their security plans and policies, and vetting personnel against the
terrorist screening database. For example, CISA officials have stated that for every month the CFATS
program is expired, approximately 9,000 new individuals are not screened against the federal
database for terrorist ties. CFATS helps minimize the opportunities for threat actors to do harm to our
facilities, workers, and the surrounding communities.
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.
Sincerely,
| Agricultural Retailers Association American Chemistry Council American Coatings Association American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Compressed Gas Association Household & Commercial Products Association |
National Association of Chemical Distributors Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates The Adhesive and Sealant Council The Chlorine Institute The Fertilizer Institute The Vinyl Institute |