WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) issued the following statements today supporting the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) proposal which aims to protect certain fixed-site facilities, including fuel refineries and petrochemical manufacturing facilities, from unauthorized drone threats by restricting airspace around such critical infrastructure:
“AFPM supports this proposal to protect America’s critical infrastructure from unauthorized and potentially hostile drone activity. U.S. refineries and petrochemical sites are key critical infrastructure that are essential to our economy and national security. This proposal’s recognition that refineries and chemical facilities need airspace security marks an important step forward in addressing risks from malicious and extraneous drone flights while enabling safe, legitimate innovation in the low-altitude airspace.”— Jeff Gunnulfsen, AFPM Assistant Vice President of Security & Risk Management
“Unauthorized drone flights pose an escalating threat to the complex operations conducted daily at refineries and chemical facilities. While many companies operate their own drone programs connected to safety and maintenance inspections, an unfamiliar drone over a facility raises serious security concerns.” — Matt Fuller, AFPM Senior Policy Analyst
AFPM will carefully review the proposal and submit comments to help ensure the final rule delivers robust protections for critical infrastructure while advancing a balanced approach that promotes security and responsible drone use.
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) is the leading trade association representing the makers of the fuels that keep us moving, the petrochemicals that are the essential building blocks for modern life, and the midstream companies that get our feedstocks and products where they need to go. We make the products that make life better, safer and more sustainable — we make progress.
