2021 has seen a notable rise in the number of targeted ransomware attacks, with experts estimating that a company would be affected by an event every eleven seconds this year. Notable incidents like the Colonial Pipeline shutdown in May, which closed the Atlantic Coast’s main artery for fuel for multiple weeks, has shined a renewed light on the importance of protecting your organization from cybercriminals. The Biden administration has already significant steps, signing an executive order on May 12 to bolster the country’s cyber defenses and issuing a formal statement on July 19 alongside the European Union, United Kingdom and NATO against the People’s Republic of China over Beijing’s behavior in cyberspace.

ILTA’s annual Terminal Operating Practices Symposium is back and better than ever in 2021! Every year, ILTA hosts TOPS, an educational series designed to provide terminal operators a forum to exchange lessons learned from facility incidents and near hits while discussing effective operating practices with their peers.  This year’s event will be held in-person December 6 in Houston, TX

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is looking to include a group of 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), groups of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), cyanotoxins and scores of other individual chemicals on the latest iteration of its periodic Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) list of candidates for future regulations. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wind down, the White House announced it would not issue an emergency safety standard for COVID-19 that would apply to most workers, potentially skirting a campaign pledge. Instead, the administration and OSHA proposed a rule specifically for those in health care and health care settings.  

We are rapidly approaching ILTA’s 2021 Operating Conference and Trade Show, set for October 4-6 in Houston, TX. Every year, our conference brings together terminal professionals, government officials and subject matter experts to share their insights on the challenges facing the terminals industry and its future. In today’s Think Tank blog, we wanted to highlight three more fantastic sessions we have planned for this year’s event. Be sure to register as soon as possible to secure our early bird rates!