The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released its proposed rule on the Risk Management Program (RMP). The RMP covers 12,500 commercial and industrial facilities that use or store large amounts of specific, highly toxic, or highly flammable chemicals.

In response to the rule’s release, the BlueGreen Alliance issued the following statement from Vice President of Legislation and Federal Affairs Jessica Eckdish:

“The RMP is the nation’s primary defense against catastrophic industrial chemical releases, fires, and explosions. More than half of Americans live near enough to an industrial facility to be harmed by such an incident. That risk falls disproportionately on low-income and communities of color. Workers at these facilities also face imminent danger simply by coming to work.

“The Risk Management Program should be designed to prevent disasters from happening. The BlueGreen Alliance will be carefully reviewing the proposed rule to ensure that we have the strongest final rule possible that prioritizes prevention, worker participation, and environmental justice.”