Chemical facilities, even with very low volumes, are under particular scrutiny, as their operations are considered especially vulnerable to threats.

Because of the increased threat, chemical facilities need to focus on preventing terrorist, criminal, and cyberattacks. Such attacks could have significant national impact (e.g., through the loss of chemicals vital to the national defense or economy). They also could cause releases of hazardous chemicals that might compromise the facility’s integrity, cause serious injuries or fatalities among employees, contaminate adjoining areas, or cause injuries or fatalities among adjoining populations.

For many facilities, compliance with existing regulations led to changes in operations that reduced risk and increased security. Facilities have been able to identify and reduce the chemicals of greatest concern at their facilities. For companies not previously affected by security-related regulations, existing regulations and guidance provide a solid starting point for evaluating processes and implementing changes to improve security.

Chemical facilities that have more than 300 chemicals of interest listed in in Appendix A of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) regulation (6 CFR Part 27) are required to report to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) as part of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS).

Facilities that have certain amounts of chemicals of interest must meet additional requirements and complete surveys to rank their risk level. Companies that meet the high-risk thresholds are required to have a site security plan.