(21b) The DHS Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards – A Risk-Based Approach to Chemical Facility Security

In October 2006, Congress granted DHS authority to regulate security at high-risk chemical facilities. The resulting program, CFATS, (1) prioritizes facilities that possess chemicals of interest to terrorists due to the release, sabotage or diversion hazards they present; (2) identifies the types of security performance measures that address these risks; and (3) adapts to different types of facilities, ranging from manufacturing plants to universities, hospitals and warehouses across various industries. The risk-based approach drives facilities to consider adoption of a range of risk-reduction measures, including inherently safer technologies, to achieve compliance with the standards.