The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials held a hearing on May 7, 2024, on “EPA’s RMP Rule: Failures to Protect the American People and American Manufacturing.” The May 3, 2024, hearing memorandum states that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) March 11, 2024, final rule amending the Risk Management Program (RMP) “include[s] several changes to the accident prevention program requirements for natural hazards, power loss, and [safer technologies and alternative analysis (STAA)], as well as enhancements to the emergency response requirements, expansion of public availability of chemical hazard information, third-party audit and recordkeeping requirements, and mandatory employee rights and participation.” The Subcommittee heard from the following witnesses:

• Jatin Shah, Senior Principal Consultant, BakerRisk;

• Richard Erstad, Vice President and General Counsel, Hawkins, Inc., on behalf of the Alliance of Chemical Distributors (ACD); and

• James “Jim” Savage, Legislative Representative, United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union.

EPA’s final rule took effect May 10, 2024. More information on the final rule is available in our March 5, 2024, memorandum.

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