Federal Agencies Shine Spotlight on Chemical Facilities

President Obama’s August 2013 Executive Order 13650, “Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security,” set in motion a series of events that has the potential to greatly impact the management of chemicals at a broad range of facilities. The executive order, issued in response to recent tragic and deadly chemical accidents such as the April 2013 explosion at a West, Texas, fertilizer facility, directs federal agencies to evaluate changes to existing chemical safety and security regulations. The executive order established the Chemical Facility Safety and Security Working Group, which is co-chaired by the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the secretary of the Department of Labor, and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or their delegates. The working group has been hard at work over the past year, and is offering opportunities for input at all levels of government, communities and industrial facilities as it reevaluates all aspects of chemical management practices and response activities.

In a May 2014 status report titled “Actions to Improve Chemical Facility Safety and Security: A Shared Commitment,” the working group discusses its progress, which has been organized around five thematic areas: (1) strengthening community planning and preparedness; (2) enhancing federal operational coordination; (3) improving data management; (4) modernizing policies and regulations; and (5) incorporating stakeholder feedback and developing best practices. While acknowledging that the U.S. chemical industry manufactures more than 70,000 unique products, employs nearly one million people and generates $700 billion in revenue per year, the status report signals a very firm commitment to addressing risks that have become all too apparent through industrial accidents involving a range of chemicals. The efforts of the working group will create a new landscape for managing chemical safety. Most telling perhaps is the manner in which the working group has gone about its work, with a high level of coordination among federal agencies, including the Department of Labor, EPA, DHS, the Department of Justice, the Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Transportation. Likewise, the working group has fostered a high level of engagement among stakeholders, including state and local regulators, chemical manufacturers, industrial facilities, first responders, environmental and community groups, and citizens. According to the status report, nearly 1,800 people have participated in listening sessions and webinars to date. Through this coordination and outreach, the working group aims to strengthen state and local capabilities, develop tools and resources for emergency responders, enhance community awareness, and foster information sharing related to chemical accident preparedness and response.