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EPA Administrator Pruitt Signs Proposed Risk Management Program Reconsideration Rule

Rule would ensure proper emergency planning and save $88 million in regulatory costs

05/17/2018
Contact Information: 
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON (May 17, 2018) — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt signed the Risk Management Program (RMP) Reconsideration proposed rule to better address potential security risks, improve emergency planning and public information regarding accidents, and save approximately $88 million a year.

"Accident prevention is a top priority at EPA, and this proposed rule will ensure proper emergency planning and continue the trend of fewer significant accidents involving chemicals," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "The rule proposes to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, address the concerns of stakeholders and emergency responders on the ground, and save Americans roughly $88 million a year."

EPA has a responsibility to protect first responders and communities adjacent to facilities with chemical substances and has done so, in part, through the Risk Management Program (RMP). RMP regulations, first issued in 1996, require facilities to take steps to prevent and mitigate the consequences of accidental release of regulated substances. Today’s proposed rule would rescind or modify certain provisions of the RMP Amendments rule published in January 2017. It proposes to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining consistency with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Process Safety Management standard. In addition, the rule proposes revised compliance dates for the modified RMP requirements to provide necessary time for agency programmatic changes and for regulated facilities to implement the new requirements.

"I applaud the Trump Administration and Administrator Pruitt for reducing more unnecessary and overly burdensome regulations,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. "The new RMP rule is another victory for common sense over environmental radicalism and is a good example of the Administration listening to and properly responding to the valid concerns of multiple states.” 

"The EPA’s Risk Management Plan Rule (RMP) as proposed under the Obama Administration would have imposed significant new costs on industry without identifying or quantifying the safety benefits to be achieved through new requirements. NACD saw the Trump Administration’s delay last year in implementing this rule as a positive sign that these concerns would be addressed going forward," said National Association of Chemical Distributors President Eric Byer. "We believe that with EPA’s release today of a new proposed RMP rule, many of the concerns have been eliminated or addressed in a way that makes common sense.  We look forward to reviewing the proposal in its entirety and submitting comments to the agency this summer."

"SOCMA would like to thank and congratulate Administrator Pruitt and the EPA on completion of the proposed rule," said Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates’ Robert Helminiak. "SOCMA was supportive of EPA’s delay on implementation of the prior rule which allowed the Agency to conduct this reconsideration rulemaking. We are pleased EPA has sought resolution of the major concerns with the RMP rule and look forward to working with the Agency on other issues of mutual interest impacting the specialty and fine chemicals industry."

The proposed rule will be available for public comment for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. A public hearing on the rule is scheduled for June 14, 2018.

For a video of today’s signing, click here: https://youtu.be/efUxaqCm9IY

For more information on the proposed RMP Reconsideration Rule, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/rmp/proposed-risk-management-program-rmp-reconsideration-rule.

For more information about the RMP Reconsideration Rule public hearing, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/rmp/public-hearing-proposed-changes-risk-management-program-rmp-rul


Administrator Pruitt signing the Proposed Risk Management Program Reconsideration Rule. Stakeholders with Administrator Pruitt at today's signing of the proposed rule.