Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed revisions to the chemical facility safety provisions under its Risk Management Program rule represent “a significant step backward,” the Chemical Safety Board says.
CSB provided input in a May 5 letter from agency Chair Steve Owens and board member Sylvia Johnson. The correspondence sent to EPA included CSB’s public comments on the proposed amendments.
EPA accepted comment through May 11 after issuing an extension to accommodate a stakeholder request for additional time.
Published in February, the proposal would rescind or amend parts of the Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention rule, which revised the RMP rule in 2024 as part of an effort to reduce the frequency of chemical releases.
Proposed changes include those related to:
- Required analysis of safer technologies and chemical alternatives
- Training
- Expanded employee participation requirements
- Required third-party compliance audits and root cause analysis incident investigations for facilities that have experienced incidents
- Sharing information with local first responders
- Community notification
Additionally, EPA seeks to scale back stop-work authority for certain processes.
In its comments, CSB contends that the proposal would deemphasize accidental-release prevention while compromising “more than a decade of safety progress toward preventing catastrophic chemical accidents.”
The board adds: “Achieving a nation free from chemical disasters requires effective regulation, as well as requirements that encourage chemical facilities to take proactive steps to prevent chemical releases and implement effective safety procedures and safeguards.
“For regulation to be effective, it must reflect best practices, encourage continuous improvement and be understood by the regulated community. The changes proposed in the NPRM would hinder, rather than promote, these objectives.”
