At the national level, the “criticality” of infrastructure sectors is defined as an indispensable component of the functioning of society and the economy, strongly associated with other critical sectors, and therefore requires security at the federal, state, and local level (DHS, 2003). In a broad sense, each industry is vital and fits this definition to one degree or another. The chemical sector requires special attention and consideration, as an essential aspect of this sector is often questioned in the scientific literature (Riedman, 2016). The question rests on the multi-criteria definition of “criticality.”
Indeed, some of the local disruptions and events leading to the failure of the chemical sector have not had devastating consequences for the US economy, security, or society (Riedman, 2016). However, at a higher federal level, the role of the chemical sector is closely linked to other equally essential infrastructure sectors. For example, during a pandemic, the chemical sector was involved in the interests of pharmacology and virology. The industry required national and even international security to stop and combat the spread of the virus (Osotimehin & Popov, 2020). Moreover, the chemical sector is the largest industrial consumer of energy and the third-largest industrial source of carbon dioxide emissions (Levi & Cullen, 2018). Consequently, even in the absence of emergencies in the country, the chemical sector is a reasonably necessary object of national security, despite several local cases mentioned above.
As the spread of the virus shows, it can be argued that national health sector security is vital at all levels, from local to federal. In the case of the chemical sector, risks can arise both in the production and transportation of essential substances and consumer goods and specialty chemicals, and pharmaceutical products. Sector failures in the above articles only highlight the high resiliency of the system, not the lack of “criticality.”
References
DHS (Department of Homeland Security). (2003). Homeland security presidential directive 7: Critical infrastructure identification, prioritization, and protection.
Osotimehin, S., & Popov, L. (2020). Sectoral Impact of COVID-19: Cascading Risks. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute Working Paper, (31).
Levi, P. G., & Cullen, J. M. (2018). Mapping global flows of chemicals: from fossil fuel feedstocks to chemical products. Environmental Science & Technology, 52(4), 1725-1734.
Riedman, D. (2016). Questioning the criticality of critical infrastructure: A case study analysis. Homeland Security Affairs, 12(3).