Congress Bolsters Drone Regulations to Protect Chemical Facilities
May 20, 2024
The American Chemistry Council praises the new FAA reauthorization bill, which establishes no-fly zones and a risk-based approach for hazardous material transport.
The bill includes two key provisions. First, it directs the FAA to create "no-fly zones" for unauthorized drone operations over or near critical infrastructure, such as chemical facilities. The ACC states that the FAA is long overdue to complete this rule.
The bill also establishes a risk-based approach for authorizing the use of drones to transport hazardous materials.
According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), criminals could potentially use drones as weapons, transport smuggled payloads, steal intellectual property, commit cyber crimes or intentionally disrupt or harass industries.
Ryan Jackson, vice president of federal affairs at ACC, acknowledged that while the bill is a positive step, Congress can do more to protect chemical facilities against drone threats.
"ACC strongly encourages Congress to also pass legislation that would provide the government with the additional tools it needs to guard critical infrastructure from dangerous drone operations," he said.