WASHINGTON (May 16, 2024) – Congress passed a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that contains important provisions supported by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) that will help protect chemical facilities. The first provision directs the FAA to complete its long overdue rule to create “no fly zones” for unauthorized drone operations over or near critical infrastructure, which includes chemical facilities. The second provision establishes a risk-based approach for authorizing the use of drones to transport hazardous materials, which will help reduce potential risks to chemical facilities.  

The following statement regarding the drone provisions FAA can be attributed to Ryan Jackson, Vice President of Federal Affairs at ACC:

“We applaud Congress for taking action to address the threat drones pose to our industry and helping our members protect against the rising number of drone-related incidents involving chemical facilities. The provisions in this bill provide important and much-needed direction for the FAA to put rules in place that will help safeguard critical infrastructure, including the chemical sector. 

“The provisions in this bill are an important step but not the last step that Congress must take when it comes to drone security. 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.”