The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized amendments to its Risk Management Program (RMP) to protect communities from chemical accidents.. However, the American Chemistry Council has called for the agency to rethink changes that, it said, threaten supply chain resiliency and national security.
The Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention Rule mandates stronger measures for prevention, preparedness and public transparency at the 11,000-plus regulated RMP facilities. Companies will be required to prevent the accidental release of chemicals that could harm people, property or the environment.
“Many communities that are vulnerable to chemical accidents are in overburdened and underserved areas of the country,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a news release. “This final rule is a critical piece of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing environmental justice by putting in place stronger safety requirements for industrial facilities and new measures to protect communities from harm.”
EPA incorporated revisions in the final rule designed to improve chemical process safety, help companies prepare for and respond to accidents, and to increase public awareness of chemical hazards. Regulated facilities will have to carry out a safer technologies and alternatives analysis (STAA), and may have to implement reliable safeguard measures.
However, ACC expressed concerns that EPA is discarding its successful approach for enhancing chemical facility safety.
“The new rule adds to a surge in misguided regulations that undermine the ability of chemical manufacturers to create essential products here in the US and support the broader economy,” it said.