"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has misled Congress about the effectiveness of a nearly five-year-old program that is meant to secure the nation’s chemical facilities against potential terrorist attacks, says Sen. Susan M. Collins (R-Maine).

The ranking Republican member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, Collins says she is “extremely disappointed” by the findings in an internal DHS report, which evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program.

The internal assessment, Collins says, indicates that 'serious management problems, wasteful spending, insufficient and untrained personnel, and union demands are hindering the department’s implementation of this vital antiterrorism program.'"

Glenn Hess reports for Chemical & Engineering News December 29, 2011. [2]