Back in March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed significant changes to the chemical accident prevention provisions, commonly referred to as the Risk Management Program (RMP). In a recent webinar, Risk Management Plan Updates: A Guide to Regulatory Compliance in Advance of EPA’s Final Rule, speaker Natalie VanLiew, PE, Managing Consultant at Trinity Consultants, discussed the major changes in the regulations, some smaller changes that could have large impacts, and what to expect in the upcoming months.
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In the wake of the 2013 ammonium nitrate explosion in West, Texas, that killed 15 people, injured hundreds, and caused widespread damage, President Obama issued Executive Order (EO) 13650, which set into motion actions by numerous government agencies designed to enhance the safety and security of chemical facilities and reduce the risks that hazardous chemicals pose to owners and operators, workers, and communities. In addition to enhancing cooperation and information sharing among federal agencies and state and local authorities, the activities stemming from EO 13650 included modernizing key regulations, such as EPA’s RMP and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) Program. The EPA proposed changes to the RMP regulations on March 14, 2016.