tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122514974659083342.post1296435699920835132..comments2024-02-02T22:30:20.736-05:00Comments on Chemical Facility Security News: RMP NPRM: Emergency Response PlanningPJCoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03390039682578324978noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122514974659083342.post-77306572333427276722016-04-29T08:39:29.948-04:002016-04-29T08:39:29.948-04:00The EPA IG has no role in this arena, unless the c...The EPA IG has no role in this arena, unless the complaint at issue is one against an EPA official. If we are referring to someone from EPA who can go sort out issues between companies and communities (regarding response), those people would come from EPA's Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The problem of course is that OEM's manpower has been decimated over the past 5 or 6 years in favor of Administration pet projects like Environmental Justice. OEM's budget has likewise suffered, sometimes despite OMB attempts to shore it up. Today, OEM does not have the manpower to help LEPCs or communities get what they need from plants. EPA Regions could, in theory, have RMP inspectors do this work. There are about 30 full time federal positions spread among the 10 EPA regions which are supposedly dedicated to RMP inspections, but again, these positions have been decimated in favor of other things regional administrators fine more important, like drivers for the regional administrators. <br /><br />The bottom line is that for a long time now, Congress has not been fulfilling its oversight role, and EPA along with many other Federal Agencies has become largely dysfunctional. EPA can put out paper, but do little else. <br /><br />So really, Patrick hits the nail on the head - this is a pretty good proposal (and is really EPAs response to the West Fertilizer incident) but even if it goes on the books largely as proposed, it will only have an impact where the companies concerned choose to follow the new rules. No one is going to police this except the industry itself.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09207156273440393282noreply@blogger.com