ARLINGTON, VA – National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) President and CEO Eric R. Byer issued a statement welcoming the U.S. Senate’s passage of S. 4148 extending the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program for three years, which is set to expire on July 23, 2020.

The statement said, “The CFATS program was created in 2007 to help prevent terrorist attacks on high-risk chemical facilities. Since it was launched, chemical distributors and regulators at DHS have worked hand-in-hand to implement the program to ensure chemical facilities across the country are hardened against potential acts of terrorism.”

The statement also said that the reauthorization of CFATS “would enable the chemical industry to continue making security investments for years to come.”

Byer called on the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the companion legislation to extend CFATS so that it can be sent to President Trump for his signature.