Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) 15th Anniversary
CFATS Announcement
As of July 28, 2023, Congress has allowed the statutory authority for the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program (6 CFR Part 27) to expire.
Therefore, CISA cannot enforce compliance with the CFATS regulations at this time. This means that CISA will not require facilities to report their chemicals of interest or submit any information in CSAT, perform inspections, or provide CFATS compliance assistance, amongst other activities. CISA can no longer require facilities to implement their CFATS Site Security Plan or CFATS Alternative Security Program.
CISA encourages facilities to maintain security measures. CISA’s voluntary ChemLock resources are available on the ChemLock webpages.
If CFATS is reauthorized, CISA will follow up with facilities in the future. To reach us, please contact CFATS@hq.dhs.gov.
The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program is celebrating 15 years of working with high-risk facilities to enhance the security of dangerous chemicals. As part of this celebration, CISA will be releasing a series of blogs that tell the story of CFATS, from the very beginning to the continued efforts during the COVID pandemic.
Story of CFATS
How It All Began: The History and Making of the CFATS Program
The origins of the CFATS program begin shortly after the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security. Learn more about how the CFATS program was created and developed.
Building a Foundation: Appendix A
Appendix A has been instrumental to the implementation of the CFATS program by helping owners and operators understand their chemical holdings and the security issues that may come with those chemicals. Learn more about how Appendix A, a list of more than 300 chemicals of interest, was developed.
Bringing the Regulation to Life: Chemical Security Inspectors and the First CFATS Inspections
The story of the CFATS program continues by focusing on the glue that holds the CISA Chemical Security program together: its people. Among all of the people it takes to implement the Chemical Security programs, the inspectors based across the country who make up the Chemical Security Inspector (CSI) cadre are as vital to the securing of our nation’s facilities as the security measures themselves.
