(American National Standards Institute: New York) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently released federal regulations aimed at strengthening the security of chemical facilities nationwide. The final rule, issued April 2, establishes comprehensive risk-based performance standards for the nation’s 15,000 chemical facilities, and gives plant operators flexibility in their choice of measures to meet the standards.

Chemical facilities fitting certain profiles will be required to complete a preliminary screening assessment to determine their level of risk. Those identified as high risk will be required to submit vulnerability assessments along with site security plans that address the perceived issues. In particular, the standards target perimeter security, facility access control, chemical theft and sabotage prevention.

The ruling follows a heated debate over proposed draft regulations issued last December that would have overridden state security measures, even in cases where the latter were more stringent. Under the final rule, only state measures that interfere with or hinder the DHS regulations will be pre-empted.

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