ILTA President Urges Senators to Pass CFATS Reauthorization Ahead of Deadline

June 29, 2020

Dear Senator,

The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) law is set to expire in less
than a month on July 23, 2020. ILTA and our member companies support this critical
anti-terrorism program and ask that you join in immediately passing a long-term
reauthorization.

On June 25, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron
Johnson, joined by Senators James Lankford, James Inhofe, and Shelly Moore Capito
introduced a clean 7-year reauthorization of CFATS. This legislation is an important
step forward. We ask that you join in supporting the longest possible reauthorization
that can be enacted by both Houses of Congress and sent to the President’s desk.
CFATS plays a critical role in maintaining our nation’s security and our members
appreciate the diligence with which the Department of Homeland Security’s
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) administers this important
program. ILTA member companies value the cooperative relationship - spanning
multiple administrations - they have maintained with CISA.

Fundamentally, CFATS works because site operators and CISA collaborate and
communicate to secure chemicals that could be exploited by terrorists. CFATS provides
a demanding but flexible approach to ensuring chemical security by setting a consistent
standard for all high-risk chemical facilities. This helps make both facilities and
communities safer.

Long-term reauthorization of CFATS is necessary to provide regulatory stability and
certainty so that companies operating critical chemical storage and production facilities
can continue to make sound financial decisions and capital investments to better secure
hazardous chemicals.

With less than a month remaining we ask you to support long-term reauthorization.
Please encourage Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring legislation to the floor
immediately.

Respectfully,

Kathryn Clay
ILTA President

Founded in 1974, the International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA) represents more
than 85 companies operating liquid terminals in all 50 states and in over 40 countries.
Our members’ facilities provide critical links between all modes of surface transportation
for liquid commodities, such as crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals, renewable
fuels, fertilizer, vegetable oils and other food-grade materials that are central to the U.S.
economy. Terminals provide essential logistics services that spur trade both within the
United States and connect the U.S. economy with overseas markets. ILTA’s
membership also includes more than 400 companies that supply equipment and
services to the terminals industry.