Why is DHS using risk-based performance standards?
Because each chemical facility faces different security challenges, Congress explicitly directed the Department to issue regulations “establishing risk-based performance standards for the security of chemical faculties”. Performance standards are particularly appropriate in a security context because they provide individual facilities the flexibility to address their unique security challenges. Using performance standards rather than prescriptive standards also helps to increase the overall security of the sector by varying the security practices used by different chemical facilities. Security measures that differ from facility to facility mean that each facility presents a new and unique problem for potential adversaries.
Because each chemical facility faces different security challenges, Congress explicity directed the Department to issue regulations “establishing risk-based performance standards for the security of chemcial facilties”. Performance standards are particularly appropriate in a security context because they provide individual facilities the flexibility to address their unique security challanges. Using performance standards rather than prescriptive standards also helps to to increase the overall security of the sector by varying the security practices used by different chemical facilities. Security measures that differ from facility to facility mean that each facility presents a new and unique problem for potential adversaries.
