EPA reconsiders RMP Rule, delays effective date
Posted March 15, 2017
On March 13, EPA took action to reconsider the Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Programs Under the Clean Air Rule (RMP Rule). EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt also signed an administrative stay to delay the effective date of the rule until June 19, 2017.
In February, industry representatives petitioned EPA to reconsider the RMP Rule. The agency says the 90-day postponement will give it time to respond to the petition. EPA may consider yet another extension of the rule’s effective date through rulemaking.
EPA’s January 13, 2017, final amendments to the Accidental Release Prevention Requirements for Risk Management Programs under the Clean Air Act, Section 112(r)(7) aim to modernize EPA's RMP regulations as required under Executive Order (EO) 13650. EO 13650 directs the federal government to carry out a number of tasks intended to prevent chemical incidents, such as the explosion in West, Texas on April 17, 2013.
The amendments are intended to:
- Address and improve accident prevention program elements;
- Enhance the emergency preparedness requirements;
- Ensure LEPCs (Local Emergency Planning Committees), local emergency response officials, and the public can access information in a user-friendly format to help them understand the risks at RMP facilities and better prepare for emergencies.
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