Facilities subject to EPA's risk management plan (RMP)
facility safety program should keep an eye out for expected
amendments to the governing rules, expected to be published in
March by EPA. EPA is completing its Small Business Advocacy Review
of potential costs to small businesses. In a presentation in
November to an industry group, EPA described its plans for the
amendments, which include provisions enhancing requirements for
facility audits, new requirements for consideration of safer
processes, new standards to increase disclosure of facility data to
first responders and the public, and provisions addressing root
cause analysis after accidents or near misses. The expected
facility audit amendments would require facilities that have had
accidents to utilize a third party auditor rather than conducting a
self-audit. The expected rule would also require that records of
root cause reviews be maintained at the facility for 5 years. It
would also require that facilities
