Associated Press Reports on Chicken Farms as Terror Threats

The AP Reports That The New Rule Could Affect 40,000 Farms

“By industry counts, up to 40,000 farms could be affected by the new security proposal.” (“Chicken Farms as Terror Threats?” AP, August 22, 2007)

DHS received approximately 4,300 comments during the public comment period on its proposed List of Chemicals of Interest (referred to as Appendix A) included in its Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Regulation, the majority from the poultry and propane industries. DHS is reviewing those comments and will revise the list of chemicals, as necessary, after considering the comments. The objective of the Department is to focus on and improve security at high-risk facilities that possess dangerous chemicals.

In the final Appendix A, DHS will continue to consider the risk landscape of all aspects of the agriculture industry to include propane storage and distribution; the safety rules that the industry follows; the typical capacity of propane storage tanks across the industry; and their proximity to populated areas and potential consequences if targeted for acts of terror. Based on such factors, the targeted population of this rule is not likely to be agricultural users of propane and not likely to be 40,000 farms. In fact, for purposes of generating a cost estimate for the rule, DHS estimated that the total number of respondents (from all chemical facilities) that would complete a Top-Screen within the first three years would be 50,000, and our primary estimate of the number of covered facilities would be 5,000 facilities.

The Delmarva Poultry Industry Association States That People Are Not At Risk From Propane Tanks On Chicken Farms

“Poultry Farms are not near population centers. An exploding propane tank would do little harm to the chicken houses, much less any other buildings on the farm, much less anybody else.” (“Chicken Farms as Terror Threats?” AP, August 22, 2007)

DHS’ Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards regulation is aimed at preventing terrorists from gaining access to enough toxic or explosive chemicals to pose a threat to our communities - not at restricting the use of propane for individual farms and households.

The targeted population is facilities that present a high level of risk. Facilities that do not present a high level of risk will not be regulated under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards.

The AP Reports That Poultry Farmers Who Use Propane To Heat Chicken Houses Would Be Forced To Fill Out Lengthy Forms To Register Their Propane Tanks With The Department Of Homeland Security

“At that amount, poultry farmers who use propane to heat chicken houses would have to fill out the forms.” (“Chicken Farms as Terror Threats?” AP, August 22, 2007)

DHS is not targeting the vast majority of facilities that use or store propane within the agricultural industry. Only those facilities that possess quantities of propane at or above the listed Screening Threshold Quantities (STQ) and present significant public health and safety consequences if targeted in a terrorist attack will be required to submit a “Top-Screen” consequence assessment. The Top-Screen is a “Turbo Tax-like” online tool that is extremely user friendly. The Top-Screen allows DHS to determine with precision a given facility’s level of risk. Again, the targeted population is not the majority of agricultural users of propane.

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