According to Chemical Facility Security News, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee posted a new release yesterday announcing that the Senate had passed HR 2892 yesterday by a vote of 79 to 19. The bill extends CFATS, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, until October 4, 2010. The president has 10 days to sign the legislation. This will give Congress time to work on a bill to make CFATS permanent.
Over in the House, HR 2868 and HR 3258, which would among other things make CFATS permanent, are set to go before the full Energy Commerce Committee today. The legislation still contains IST (inherently-safer technologies) regulations and takes away the CFATS exemption for municipal water and wastewater plants.
Ryan Loughin, Director of Petrochemical & Energy Solutions for the Advanced Integration division of ADT, said that it is not yet clear how this will affect water and water treatment plants. These facilities use chemicals, particularly chlorine, to treat water and waste water. Chlorine is on the DHS list of COIs (Chemicals of Interest). Check back for more information as CFATS legislation makes its way through Congress.
-- PSW Staff
Photo of Ryan Loughin
