Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Chemicals of Interest (COI) for Anti-Terrorism Standards

On April 9, 2007, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS).  These standards require facilities, including colleges and universities that possessCOIs at or above certain quantities, to prepare and submit assessments. 

These chemicals under the CFATS standard are known as Appendix A chemical of Interest.

This Inventory Program has been established to assist in completing the DHS reporting requirements for each laboratory.

In order to review or update your DHS Appendix A inventory:

  1. Log onto the EH&S Chem Bio Portal with your NetID username and password.
  2. In the Chemical Inventory Entry page, go to the downmenu entitled Reports and select My Current DHS Appendix A Inventory to see what is currently in the system for your lab.
  3. Update your chemical inventory by entering all new COIs, or by entering changes in quantities of existing COIs.
  4. In the Chemical Inventory Entry page, go to the downmenu entitled Reports and select My Current DHS Appendix A Inventory. This is your updated DHS Appendix A Report.
  5. Complete the annual chemical inventory review statement through EH&S Chem Bio Portal.

ALL COIs FOR YOUR LABORATORY MUST BE ENTERED NO LATER THAN TWO MONTHS AFTER YOUR START DATE.

ANY COIs RECEIVED IN YOUR LAB AFTER THIS TIME MUST BE ENTERED INTO YOUR INVENTORY NO LATER THAN THREE WORKING DAYS AFTER RECEIPT.

Definitions

A Commercial Grade (ACG) shall refer to any quality or concentration of a chemical of interest offered for commercial sale that a facility uses, stores, manufactures, or ships.

A Placarded Amount (APA) shall refer to the STQ for a sabotage and contamination chemical of interest, as calculated in accordance with §27.203(d).

Chemical of Interest shall refer to a chemical listed in appendix A to part 27; and means a list of chemical substances which trigger the provisions of the CFATS.

Chemical Security Assessment Tool or CSAT shall mean a suite of four applications, including User Registration, Top-Screen, Security Vulnerability Assessment, and Site Security Plan, through which the Department will collect and analyze key data from chemical facilities.

Chemical-terrorism Vulnerability Information or CVI shall mean the information listed in §27.400(b).

Screening Threshold Quantity or STQ shall mean the quantity of a chemical of interest, upon which the facility’s obligation to complete and submit the CSAT Top-Screen is based.

Security Issue shall refer to the type of risks associated with a given chemical. For purposes of this part, there are four main security issues:

  1. Release (including toxic, flammable, and explosive);
  2. Theft and diversion (including chemical weapons and chemical weapons precursors, weapons of mass effect, and explosives and improvised explosive device precursors),
  3. Sabotage and contamination, and
  4. Critical to government mission and national economy.

Terrorist attack or terrorist incident shall mean any incident or attempt that constitutes terrorism or terrorist activity under 6 U.S.C. 101(15) or 18 U.S.C. 2331(5) or 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B)(iii), including any incident or attempt that involves or would involve sabotage of chemical facilities or theft, misappropriation or misuse of a dangerous quantity of chemicals.

Top-Screen shall mean an initial screening process designed by the Assistant Secretary through which chemical facilities provide information to the Department for use pursuant to §27.200 of these regulations.