NACD promotes the sector

FIGHTING FOR LIFE

ASSOCIATION • CFATS REAUTHORISATION HAS BEEN TOP OF THE AGENDA AT NACD BUT THE ARRIVAL OF THE CORONAVIRUS IN NORTH AMERICA HAS PUT ANOTHER ISSUE IN ITS MINDS

FOR THE NATIONAL Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD), 2020 was turning into a year when it was throwing its weight behind the need – as it saw it – to pass the reauthorisation bill to allow the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) programme to continue beyond its anticipated expiry on 18 April.

Indeed, NACD was highly critical of the inability of Congress to achieve a consensus on reauthorisation, prompted not least by the current US Administration’s antipathy to what it sees as regulation that imposes a burden on industry. However, the chemical distribution industry sees CFATS very differently.

NACD PRESIDENT ERIC R BYER: “NOW IS NOT

THE TIME TO PLAY GAMES WITH OUR NATION’S

CHEMICAL SECURITY”

Speaking in late February, NACD president/ CEO Eric R Byer had this to say: “NACD is disappointed in Congress’s failure so far to reauthorise the CFATS program administered by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is vital to ensuring the chemical industry and regulators work together to keep our nation’s chemical facilities secured against potential acts of terrorism.

“Congress overwhelmingly approved the program’s continuation and funding in January 2019 for an additional 15 months to provide lawmakers further time to work on a long-term reauthorisation,” Byer continued. “Unfortunately, certain lawmakers are acting as a roadblock to that reauthorisation. To be clear, now is not the time for policymakers to play games with our nation’s chemical security.”

INCHING FORWARD In the event, just two weeks later the US House of Representatives passed HR 6160, which aims to extend the current CFATS programme by 18 months, with the aim of providing time for lawmakers to formulate a longer-term reauthorisation approach. The bill was brought to the House by a bipartisan group of Representatives.

In the wake of that move, Byer said: “We now urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring HR 6160 to the Senate floor for swift passage and send it to President Trump for his signature to make sure that our nation’s chemical industry infrastructure remains secure.”

A major problem in terms of CFATS reauthorisation is the White House budget proposals, issued in early February, which seek to eliminate funding for the CFATS programme. Byer said at the time: “while NACD fully supports the administration’s deregulatory agenda for duplicative and burdensome red tape, it is concerning the president’s budget request also proposes the elimination of important bipartisan and industry-supported regulations like CFATS and the independent agency the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). The president’s proposal would remove this important federal agency from the incident investigations process and cut valuable resources that CSB develops for the chemical industry to improve their operational safety.

“Lastly,” Byer added, “it is time for Congress to finally coalesce around a long-term infrastructure program. The president’s budget helps move that process forward, but a more serious effort on the part of Congress is needed to rebuild our nation’s crumbling roads and bridges and put the United States on a solid foundation to ensure a vibrant economy for years to come. In the coming months, we look forward to working with Congress to make sure that all of these important measures are funded to ensure the safety, security, and economic strength of the chemical distribution industry remain top priorities for the federal government.”

HERE COMES THE VIRUS All of the above took place just before the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic really struck home in North America. By 18 March, Eric R Byer felt the need to send a letter to President Trump and to all 50 US governors, urging them to keep chemical distribution operations open because of the industry’s crucial role in ensuring the well-being of both citizens and businesses across the country.

“Chemical distributors play a vital role in the US economy, delivering products to more than 750,000 customers across the country,” Byer said. “Many of these customers are in industries critical to public health, such as food, personal care, pharmaceuticals, soaps and detergents, water treatment, and more. As cities and states across the nation

respond to the Covid-19 crisis, it is imperative that chemical distributors are allowed to continue their important work to support their communities by delivering valuable products that keep the US economy functioning and can help mitigate the worst impacts of this coronavirus.

“Without the chemical products and transportation services supplied by the distribution sector, supply chains will be severely strained and many manufacturers will be unable to run at full capacity in producing the goods so many people need to survive the Covid-19 crisis,” Byer continued. “Additionally, critical municipal infrastructure like water treatment plants, which many distributors supply necessary products to for their operations, could be negatively impacted if chemical distributors are forced to reduce their operations at exactly the moment the healthcare system braces for an increased number of cases.

“NACD and our member companies stand ready to work with our partners in industry and government to support communities across the nation in their efforts to combat the growing threat of Covid-19. Therefore, we urge President Trump and every governor across the country to include the chemical distribution industry in their crisis response plans, ensuring that goods vital to facilitating that response are able to make it to the people who need them the most and help stem the tide of this rapidly spreading illness.”

RESOURCES FOR MEMBERS NACD has now added a page to its website to provide members with access to resources to help them prepare for and navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, including links to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), as well as other federal agencies and non-governmental organisations.

NACD is keen to hear from its members and affiliates with information about the impact of Covid-19 on their personnel or their operations, so that it can help industry as a whole deal with the unprecedented threat.

NACD has nearly 450 members and affiliates, representing more than 85 per cent of the chemical distribution industry in the US and 90 per cent of the industry’s gross revenue. That industry employs more than 80,000 people and generates nearly $7.5bn in tax revenue. www.nacd.com

NACD REPRESENTS AN INDUSTRY THAT EMPLOYS

MORE THAN 80,000 PEOPLE IN THE US, ENSURING

CONSISTENT SUPPLIES OF CRITICAL PRODUCTS

“IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS ARE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEIR COMMUNITIES BY DELIVERING PRODUCTS THAT KEEP THE US ECONOMY FUNCTIONING”