NACD VP discusses chemical security outlook at conference.
December 12, 2007 -
At InteChem07, NACD Vice President of Government & Public Affairs Jennifer Gibson mentioned that there was significant congressional interest in pursuing new chemical security legislation despite the fact that the current law, enacted a year ago, expires in October 2009. Gibson also said NACD is opposed to efforts to enact new chemical security legislation before the CFATS are fully implemented and tested, and that current legislative and regulatory moves could compromise national security.
NACD Vice President Discusses Outlook for Chemical Security Legislation and Regulations
National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) Vice President of Government & Public Affairs Jennifer Gibson discussed the legislative and regulatory outlook for chemical security at the InteChem07: Security, Stewardship, Supply Chain conference in Baltimore, MD.
On the legislative front, Gibson mentioned that there was significant congressional interest in pursuing new chemical security legislation despite the fact that the current law, which was enacted a year ago, expires in October 2009. She referenced the House and Senate versions of the fiscal year 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations bills, which contain provisions explicitly allowing states and localities to adopt and enforce standards more stringent than the federal rules. She noted that the House version of the bill would also replace the Department of Homeland Security's Chemical-terrorism Vulnerability Information (CVI) protections with the less restrictive Sensitive Security Information (SSI) protections of the Department of Transportation. Gibson noted that if this were enacted into law, all of the documents that have already been marked as CVI would have to be re-marked as SSI.
Gibson also said that there was interest among some in Congress to pursue separate comprehensive chemical security legislation in the coming months. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Chairwoman of the Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee, introduced legislation in March, has held one chemical security hearing, and is considering introducing additional legislation.
Gibson remarked that NACD is opposed to these efforts to enact new chemical security legislation before the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) are fully implemented and tested. "For the first time in history, the federal government now has the authority to regulate chemical facilities to ensure that they have taken measures to protect against a terrorist attack. The requirements under CFATS are comprehensive and stringent, and NACD urges Congress to allow these to work before changing the requirements," said Gibson. In addition, the protection of chemical facilities is a national security issue, and NACD believes that federal preemption is an important element of an effective chemical security program. "There is precedent for federal preemption," Gibson continued, "in the areas of aviation, nuclear, port, and hazardous materials transportation security. Without a strong national standard, we will have a patchwork of different chemical security rules throughout the nation, making compliance confusing for any company that does business across state lines, which is the norm in our industry. This would not be in the best interest of national security, the objective that chemical security legislation is meant to promote."
On the regulatory front, Gibson said that NACD members were anxiously awaiting the publication of the Appendix A list of chemicals of interest that will trigger the requirement to complete a Top Screen consequence assessment. Once this is complete, industry will be looking for further guidance on Security Vulnerability Assessments and Site Security Plans, including guidance on Risk Based Performance Standards under CFATS.
Gibson delivered her remarks as part of a panel entitled "Forecasting Chemical Security Developments on the Horizon" along with Bill Allmond, Director of Government Relations for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA), and Kent Anderson, President of the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration. The session was part of the agenda during the InteChem07: Security, Stewardship, Supply Chain conference, hosted by SOCMA. NACD was a conference partner.
NACD was the first chemical trade association to approve new security measures as part of its management program, the Responsible Distribution Process (RDP), 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.
NACD and its more than 250 members have established themselves as leaders in health, safety, security, and environmental performance through implementation of the Responsible Distribution Process (RDP), established in 1991 as a condition of membership in NACD. Incorporated as a condition of membership in January 1999, NACD members undergo third-party on-site RDPV - RDP Verification. For additional information, visit NACD's Web site - http://www.nacd.com.
Contact: Kathee E. Baker 703/527-6223 kbaker@nacd.com
Contacts:
General Information:
Kathee E. Baker
USA
Phone: 703-527-6223 E-mail this person
Company Information: Name: The National Association of Chemical Distributors Address: 1560 Wilson Boulevard City: Arlington State: VA ZIP: 22209 Country: USA Phone: 703-527-6223 http://www.nacd.com
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