WASHINGTON, D.C. - American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Leslie Bellas, testified today during a public hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) proposed revisions to its Risk Management Program (RMP) rule. An excerpt from Leslie's full testimony is available below:

"People assume 'regulatory reform' means doing less. [This RMP] proposal shows it can mean doing better…

"EPA deserves credit for taking a data-driven look at how the RMP functions in practice and recalibrating the program where improvements are needed.

"This rule represents a long overdue realignment of EPA's RMP with OSHA's [Process Safety Management] PSM standard, consistent with Congress's direction that the two programs be coordinated and not duplicative. When RMP and PSM are aligned, facilities can operate an integrated prevention system that protects workers inside the fenceline and communities outside it…

"[T]his proposal removes requirements that did not demonstrably improve safety, while preserving - and reinforcing - the core elements that do. Robust hazard analyses, mechanical integrity, employee involvement, emergency preparedness, and coordination with local responders remain the backbone of the program...

"This is what smart, effective regulatory reform looks like."

AFPM will submit detailed written comments on EPA's proposal in the weeks ahead.

For more information on EPA's Risk Management Program and corresponding regulation, see the following:

• AFPM: Revised RMP would set a strong standard for safety, enable safety innovation
• What to Keep in Mind re. Updates to EPA's Risk Management Plan | American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
• What's working in EPA's Risk Management Program
• AFPM: Final RMP regulation puts barriers in the way of U.S. fuel & petrochemical production
• Alkylate: Understanding a key component of cleaner gasoline
• EPA Proposal to Change an Effective RMP Lacks Data, Would Impose Significant Costs Without Improving Safety | American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
• New AFPM Video: Alkylation Safety & the Production of Cleaner Gasoline | American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
• Alkylation: Safety & Risk in the Production of Cleaner Fuels | American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers