"Standards were adopted in 2017, about four years after an explosion in West, Tex., killed 15 people"
"The Environmental Protection Agency weakened a rule Thursday governing how companies store dangerous chemicals. The standards were enacted under President Barack Obama in the wake of a 2013 explosion in West, Tex., that killed 15 people, including 12 first responders.
Under the new standards, companies will not have to provide public access to information about what kinds of chemicals are stored on their sites. They also will not have to undertake several measures aimed at preventing accidents, such as analyzing safer technology and procedures, conducting a “root-cause analysis” after a major chemical release or obtaining a third-party audit when an accident has occurred.
In a statement, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the revised “Risk Management Program” rule addresses concerns raised by security experts, who feared that releasing the location of the country’s chemical stores could provide a road map for terrorists, as well as others. Wheeler’s predecessor at the EPA, Scott Pruitt, suspended the Obama-era rule in his first month on the job after chemical companies and refiners complained that the 2017 guidance imposed too much of a burden on them."
Juliet Eilperin reports for the Washington Post November 21, 2019.
SEE ALSO:
"EPA: Ax Falls On Obama Rule Crafted After Deadly Fertilizer Blast" (Greenwire)
"EPA Ends Safety Rules Put In Place After Deadly Texas Blast" (AP)
"EPA Finalizes Rule Easing Chemical Plant Safety Regulations" (The Hill)
