Federal working group issues report on chem safety

Washington — The Executive Order Working Group (EOWG) on June 6 released its Actions to Improve Chemical Facility Safety and Security report to President Obama. The EOWG is comprised of officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who were ordered by the president last August (GM Aug. 5, 2013) to review existing chemical facility regulations and come up with proposals to improve safety and close regulatory gaps in the wake of the April 17, 2013, fire and ammonium nitrate explosion in West, Texas. The report outlines “immediate actions and a consolidated Federal Action Plan of future actions” in five areas: strengthening community planning and preparedness, enhancing federal operational coordination, improving data management, modernizing policies and regulations, and incorporating stakeholder feedback and developing best practices. The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) told Green Markets that it is reviewing the report and will provide comments later, but noted that the report does propose a “federal regulatory checklist and fact sheet,” which ARA said it has been requesting since July 2013. “It is good to see the EOWG recognizing the importance of providing greater clarity on federal regulations and focus on compliance assistance,” ARA said. “We also agree the focus should be on fixing a broken LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee) / first responder reporting system and improved education and training efforts between industry and emergency responders.”