<b>By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN<br>
Michigan Correspondent</b> </p><p>

LANSING, Mich. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has put chemical registration for the majority of agricultural producers on hold.</p><p>
Previously, farmers had been told they needed to complete a preliminary risk assessment tool, called the Chemical Security Anti-Terrorism (CSAT) Top Screen, by Jan. 22. Upon completion of that assessment, DHS would have determined whether the farm presented a security risk and needed to meet additional standards. Failure to comply would have resulted in penalties under DHS regulations.</p><p>
However, a letter recently issued by DHS Assistant Secretary Robert B. Stephan states that with a few exceptions, DHS has decided to grant agricultural operations an indefinite stay from the requirement.</p><p>
“Under current threat conditions, DHS does not believe that on-farm storage of chemicals used for agricultural purposes poses a significant threat that justifies farm compliance with the regulation at this time,” said Michigan Farm Bureau Commodity and Marketing Department Manager Bob Boehm.</p><p>
In his letter, Stephan informed stakeholders that “until further notice, or unless otherwise specifically notified in writing by DHS,” the CSAT is not required of a facility that possesses chemicals of interest at or above DHS quantity thresholds if the chemical are used “in preparation for the treatment of crops, feed, land, livestock (including poultry) or other areas of an agricultural production facility; or during application to or treatment of crops, feed, land, livestock (including poultry) or other areas of an agricultural production facility.”</p><p>
According to DHS, the extension applies to facilities such as “farms (e.g., crop, fruit, nut and vegetable); ranches and rangeland; poultry, dairy and equine facilities; turfgrass growers; golf courses; nurseries; floricultural operations; and public and private parks.”
However, “this extension does not apply to chemical distribution facilities or commercial chemical application services,” he wrote. These facilities still are obligated to meet the Jan. 22 CSAT deadline as defined:</p><p>
•Farms with “large vessel” storage of propane, including Butane, at levels meeting or exceeding 60,000 pounds or 14,285 gallons
•Agricultural production facilities with high levels of ammonia used as refrigerant, including, potentially, large dairies and grow/pack orchards</p><p>
Farmers should visit the DHS website at www.dhs.gov/chemicalstorage for chemical quantity thresholds.
Boehm stressed that the action is not a regulatory exemption, but rather, DHS is saying, “don’t worry about compliance for now.”
“If security threats increase in the future or there is reason to believe that a particular facility or category of facilities pose a significant threat, DHS will notify those operations about the need to register,” Boehm said.</p><p>
As part of national anti-terrorism efforts, DHS is authorized to regulate the security of “high-risk chemical facilities,” which are deemed to be any facility using or storing certain chemicals above a specified threshold established by DHS Chemical Facility and Anti-Terrorism Standards.</p><p>
Chemicals singled out by DHS include commonly used products on Michigan farms, such as anhydrous ammonia and propane. Boehm said that while many Michigan farms may still be required to complete the initial risk assessment in the future, it’s doubtful that many would be subjected to additional DHS protocols.</p><p>
“We think DHS has made a smart decision in focusing its initial resources on production facilities and chemical plants where risk is the highest,” Boehm said.