Feds Move To Enforce Chemical Site Security

The Department of Homeland Security has begun taking action to ensure compliance with the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, the federal program for securing high-risk chemical sites. Last week, DHS issued administrative orders to 18 chemical facilities for their failure to submit site security plans. The plans explain how a facility meets or plans to meet a variety of requirements, including securing its perimeter and controlling visitor access. DHS did not make public the names and locations of the facilities. “The administrative order is a warning, following up on several reminders, that the facilities need to submit their site security plans,” says DHS spokesman Chris Ortman. If a facility continues to ignore the order, DHS may assess fines of up to $25,000 per day. DHS also has the power to shut down a facility. “But this step would most likely not be taken unless there was a more egregious violation,” Ortman says. DHS’s action should “put the industry on notice that the agency’s approach has shifted from a focus on outreach and compliance to an enforcement posture,” says Evan Wolff, an attorney at the law firm Hunton & Williams.