Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006

H.R. 4999, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, proposes a national framework to protect chemical facilities from potential terrorist attacks. The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify high-risk chemical sites and place them into a tiered system based on their level of risk to the surrounding community. Owners of these facilities would be required to conduct vulnerability assessments and create detailed security and emergency response plans to meet federal standards.

For citizens, this legislation aims to increase public safety by ensuring that facilities handling hazardous materials have uniform security measures and coordinated emergency strategies in place. It also establishes regional security offices and local committees to oversee these protections and conduct regular safety drills. While the bill was introduced in 2006 and referred to a subcommittee, its core concepts contributed to the eventual creation of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program used by the federal government to regulate chemical security.