Lapsed US chemical security programme leaves facilities at risk
By 
Rebecca Trager2023-12-04T15:06:00
At least 200 new facilities acquired chemicals in the past four months that require better safeguarding, US agency estimates
There are continued warnings that the US has been without a chemical security programme since late July, leaving more than 3000 high-risk chemical facilities in the country vulnerable to terrorist, cyber- and physical attacks.
The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) programme, which was authorised 17 years ago and is managed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is charged with regulating high-risk chemical facilities to ensure these sites are not weaponised by terrorists. It expired on 27 July and has yet to be reauthorised by Congress.