Status update on 'Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security' order

A draft plan on how to update the nation's chemical regulations is expected to be released early this year. President Obama ordered the review after last year's deadly Texas fertilizer plant explosion.

The Chemical Facility Safety and Security Working Group recently released a status report on its findings. The Fertilizer Institute has been working with federal agencies involved with this plan.

While vague, the report indicates the following:

• The working group has developed a matrix of programs to help with federal, state and local coordination;

• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is looking at ways to share explosive licensing and permitting data with members of the State Emergency Planning Committees who have explosive storage in their jurisdiction. ATF also is working to update regulations to require explosive storage facilities to notify local fire officials on an annual basis;

• The Department of Homeland Security is exploring opportunities to share Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards data with members of the State Emergency Response Commission, Local Emergency Planning Committee and Territory Emergency Planning Committee;

• Pilot programs in New York and New Jersey have been established to review ways to evaluate best practices and test innovative methods for interagency collaboration on chemical safety and security;

• The working group is exploring ways to harmonize the collection and exchange of information to streamline enforcement processes and looking at ways to identify chemical facilities that have not met regulatory requirements;

• The federal working group is considering options to improve the safe and secure storage, handling and sale of ammonium nitrate;

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering options to add substances to the list of chemicals covered under the Risk Management Program;

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is considering options to add substances to the list of chemicals covered under the Process Safety Management program.

The federal working group has developed a web page to provide information and receive comments at www.osha.gov/chemicalexecutiveorder/index.html. Stakeholders also can submit written input to eo.chemical@hq.dhs.gov.