CQ Homeland Security (subscription required)
Chemical facility security is getting bogged down in Congress, due, evidently, from lack of energy (energy – get it? no one?):
A set of bills that would extend the federal government’s ability to assess chemical facility security have never had a clear path to enactment, largely due to longstanding disagreements between lawmakers about whether the Department of Homeland Security should be able to require certain safety measures. In the last month, though, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) bills’ fate has become even more murky. Supporters of the legislation received a reminder of the challenges ahead Friday, when a committee deadline to review one bill expired. The House Homeland Security Committee marked up its reauthorization bill (HR 901) in June and sent it to the Energy and Commerce panel for approval. But the Energy panel did not address the measure before the referral deadline ran out.
