Illegal aliens infiltrate chemical facilities in spite of security concerns
Jim Kouri
, Law Enforcement Examiner
August 8, 2011

Last week, U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee passed,H.R. 901, the "Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Security Authorization Act of 2011," with a 26-5 bi-partisan majority.

Recent national reports have raised concerns that the United States is vulnerable to attacks with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents, according to a U.S. homeland security specialist.

A key vulnerability has been the hiring of contractors who are less than thorough in screening their employees. There have been incidents where illegal aliens were given access to sensitive or highly restricted areas within a chemical plant or other facilities (nuclear power plants) that require security screening of employees at all levels including management.

The legislation gives the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) a seven-year extension to its authority to regulate the security of high-risk chemical facilities throughout the country

H.R. 901 was introduced on March 4 by Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies, and is co-sponsored by Full Committee Chairman Peter T. King (R-NY) and 8 other Committee Members.

Chairman King said after the bill passed in his committee, “Securing our Nation’s chemical facilities against terrorist attacks is critical to securing our homeland. The strongly bipartisan vote to pass H.R. 901 today demonstrates that it is common sense legislation that provides a straightforward way for DHS to continue its implementation of CFATS without imposing additional burdensome, costly, job-crushing regulations on the chemical industry."

"Without this important legislation, DHS will not be able to continue its work-in-progress of protecting high-risk chemical facilities, their employees, and American citizens living near these facilities. I appreciate Subcommittee Chairman Lungren’s leadership on this issue,â€