01/06/2021

Proposed Rulemaking Seeks to Remove Duplicatively Regulated Explosives from CFATS

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) took an important step toward regulatory rightsizing by publishing an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in the Federal Register which proposes to remove explosive materials regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from duplicative oversight of the DHS Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program.
 
The pre-existing security oversight of explosive materials by ATF coupled with the longstanding best practices of the commercial explosives industry have proven to effectively promote public safety and are a shining example of public-private partnership working in support of national security. Through this ANPRM, that success has been recognized and relief from duplicative regulatory burden for the commercial explosives industry, an industry which underpins the U.S. infrastructure, is one step closer to being realized.  This is clearly good government, and IME will work to support this common-sense regulatory relief.