[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 221 (Friday, November 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67532-67534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-27106]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Docket No. DHS-2008-0112]


Review and Revision of the National Infrastructure Protection 
Plan

AGENCY: National Protection and Programs Directorate, DHS.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice informs the public that the Department of Homeland 
Security (DHS) is currently revising the 2006 National Infrastructure 
Protection Plan (NIPP) and, as part of a comprehensive national review 
process, solicits public comment on issues or language in this draft 
document that need to be updated during this triennial review cycle.

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DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before December 1, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be identified by docket number DHS-2008-0112 
and may be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Charles H. Davis, NIPP Program Management Office, 
Mail Stop 8530, Department of Homeland Security, 245 Murray Lane, SW., 
Washington, DC 20528-8530.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry L. May, NIPP Program Management 
Office, Partnership and Outreach Division, Office of Infrastructure 
Protection, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of 
Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528, 703-235-3648 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Participation

    DHS invites interested persons to contribute suggestions and 
comments for the revision of the National Infrastructure Protection 
Plan (NIPP) by submitting written data, views, or arguments. Comments 
that will provide the most assistance to DHS in revising the NIPP will 
explain the reason for any recommended changes to the NIPP and include 
data, information, or authority that supports such recommended changes. 
Identifying the proposed changes by page and line number, and/or 
Figure/Table number is requested. DHS first solicited comments, issues 
and/or language on the 2006 NIPP as part of this triennial NIPP 
revision, in a previous Federal Register Notice published on June 6, 
2008, (72 FR 32341). All of the public comments received in response to 
the June 6, 2008, notice have been reviewed, adjudicated and as 
appropriate revisions have been incorporated into the draft 2009 
National Infrastructure Protection Plan which is available for review 
in docket DHS-2008-0112 on www.regulations.gov.
    Once all comments are received in response to this notice, they 
will be adjudicated, addressed, and DHS will distribute the revised 
NIPP for inter-agency review and concurrence through the Homeland 
Security Council (HSC) process. Upon receipt and adjudication of the 
comments resulting from the HSC review, a final document will be 
prepared for review and signature by the Secretary of Homeland Security 
and the respective heads of the federal departments and agencies in 
preparation for its reissue.
    The 2009 reissue of the NIPP will represent the culmination of a 
comprehensive national review process involving the collaboration of 
critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) protection partners at 
all levels of government and the private sector; the consideration and 
inclusion of comments from the American public; and the benefit of 
shared knowledge and experience resulting from the robust public-
private partnership established through the NIPP sector partnership 
model. Because of the open and collaborative process being used to 
review and update the document, the 2009 NIPP will be of maximum value 
to all CIKR protection partners and the public.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number for this action. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided. You may submit your comments and material by one 
of the methods specified in the ADDRESSES section above. Please submit 
your comments and material by only one means to avoid the receipt and 
review of duplicate submissions. If you submit comments by mail, your 
submission should be an unbound document and no larger than 8.5 by 11 
inches to enable copying and electronic document management. If you 
want DHS to acknowledge receipt of comments by mail, please include 
with your comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard that includes the 
docket number for this action. We will date your postcard and return it 
to you via U.S. mail.
    All comments or recommended changes should be identified by page 
and line number, and/or Figure or Table number.
    Docket: Background documents and comments received can be viewed at 
http://www.regulations.gov.

II. Background

    The NIPP sets forth a comprehensive risk management framework and 
clearly defines critical infrastructure protection roles and 
responsibilities for the DHS; Sector-Specific Agencies (SSAs); and 
other Federal, State, regional, local, tribal, territorial, and 
private-sector partners. The NIPP provides a coordinated approach for 
establishing national priorities, goals, and requirements for 
infrastructure protection so that funding and resources are applied in 
the most effective manner. The NIPP risk management framework responds 
to an evolving risk landscape; as such, there will always be changes to 
the NIPP--from relatively minor to more significant. The 2006 NIPP 
established the requirement to conduct a comprehensive review of the 
NIPP and fully reissue the plan every three years to ensure that it is 
current and of maximum value to all security partners as a national 
unifying plan for critical infrastructure protection. However, it is 
also important to provide periodic reviews to identify and address 
significant issues so that all NIPP partners are aware of these issues 
and their potential impact. Review of the NIPP in response to the June 
2008 FRN provided proposed changes. The purpose of this notice is to 
invite interested parties to review the resulting draft of the revised 
NIPP (see http://www.regulations.gov) and propose edits and changes to 
this new document. Note that a detailed technical edit and check of 
acronyms will be conducted when all the comments are incorporated.

III. Initial List of Issues To Be Updated in the NIPP

    Since the NIPP was released in June 2006, DHS and its partners have 
been working to implement the risk management framework and the sector 
partnership model to protect the Nation's CIKR. Throughout this 
implementation, DHS has engaged the NIPP feedback mechanisms to capture 
lessons learned and issues that need to be revised and updated in 
future versions of the NIPP. This section presents a brief summary of 
some of these issues to serve as a guide to reviewers and commenters in 
their review of the draft revised NIPP:
     Publishing the Sector Specific Plans (SSPs).
     Establishment of Critical Manufacturing as the 18th CIKR 
sector and designation of Education as a subsector of Government 
Facilities.
     Expansion of the sector partnership model to include the 
geographically focused Regional Consortium Coordinating Council (RCCC).
     Integration with State and local fusion centers.
     Evolution of the National Asset Database (NADB) to the 
Infrastructure Information Collection System (IICS) and the 
Infrastructure Data Warehouse (IDW).
     Developments in the programs, approaches, and tools used 
to implement the NIPP risk management framework.
     Updates on risk methodologies, information sharing 
mechanisms, and other DHS-led programs.

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     Expansion and revision of the metrics discussion under the 
NIPP risk management framework.
     Description of additional Homeland Security Presidential 
Directives, National Strategies, and legislation.
     Release of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards 
(CFATS), regulating a segment of those industries that involve the 
production, use, and storage of high-risk chemicals.
     Discussion of expanded education, training, outreach, and 
exercise programs.
     Evolution from the National Response Plan (NRP) to the 
National Response Framework (NRF).
     Inclusion of further information on research and 
development and modeling, simulation, and analysis efforts.
    Additionally, the revised NIPP integrates the concepts of 
resiliency and protection and broadens the focus of NIPP-related 
programs and activities to the all-hazards environment.
    While the basic structure and principles have not changed, changes 
have been made throughout the document and interested parties are 
encouraged to read the portions of interest to them carefully. For 
purposes of review, the draft revised NIPP can be found at http://www.regulations.gov.

Robert B. Stephan,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Infrastructure Protection, Department of 
Homeland Security.
 [FR Doc. E8-27106 Filed 11-13-08; 8:45 am]
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