Executive Order on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security

Executive Order on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security

On August 1, 2013, the Executive Order on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security (EO 13650) directed the federal government to:

  • improve operational coordination with state and local partners;
  • enhance Federal agency coordination and information sharing;
  • modernize policies, regulations and standards; and
  • work with stakeholders to identify best practices.

Fact Sheet: Executive Order on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security

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Updates

Final Amendments to the Risk Management Program (RMP) Rule

Under EO 13650, EPA finalized amendments to the current Risk Management Program (RMP) regulation. The final amendments aim to reduce the likelihood of accidental releases at chemical facilities, and to improve emergency response activities when those releases occur.

Fact Sheet: The Importance of Root Cause Analysis During Incident Investigation (PDF)(3 pp, 189 K, About PDF)

EPA's Policy on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Reinterpretation of Process Safety Management (PSM) Retail Exemption

Potential SBAR Panel: Modernizing the Risk Management Plan (RMP) Rule

EPA invited small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) for a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) panel. This panel will focus on the Agency’s development of a rule that proposes to modify the current Risk Management Plan (RMP) regulation. The proposed rule seeks to reduce the likelihood of accidental releases of toxic and flammable substances at chemical facilities, and improve emergency response when those releases occur.

The opportunity to participate on this panel has passed. However, you may submit comments during the standard public comment period commencing after publication of the notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register.

Updates about the rulemaking are available on the rule's profile page on EPA's Regulatory Development and Retrospective Review Tracker. From this page, you can determine when the NPRM will publish and, thus, when you will have an opportunity to comment on the rulemaking.


June 2015 marks the one-year anniversary of EO 13650 Actions to Improve Chemical Facility Safety and Security – A Shared Commitment: Report for the President. The EO Working Group has released a factsheet on the accomplishments to date on improving chemical facility safety and security since the publishing of the Report to the President.

Fact Sheet: 2015 Status Update (4 pp, 569 K, About PDF)

As part of an ongoing federal effort to improve chemical risk management, the documents below are related to our joint progress:

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Request for Information

Request for Information on Risk Management Program. The Risk Management Program (RMP) Request for Information (RFI) was published in the Federal Register on July 31, 2014. The RFI sought comment on potential revisions to EPA’s RMP regulations and related programs to modernize its regulations, guidance, and policies as required under Executive Order (EO) 13650: Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security. The public comment period closed October 29, 2014. Public comments may be viewed online at Regulations.gov.

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Final Progress Report

Executive Order 13650: Actions to Improve Chemical Facility Safety and Security – A Shared Commitment. Report for the President (121 pp, 2 MB, About PDF)

Fact Sheet: Executive Order 13650: Actions to Improve Chemical Facility Safety and Security – A Shared Commitment (5 pp, 227 K, About PDF)

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Webinars on Executive Order 13650

Webinar: Introduction to Executive Order 13650. This pre-recorded community Webinar provides an introduction to the Executive Order (EO) 13650, highlights federal agencies involved in the EO and the primary regulations pertaining to the EO, discusses local government involvement, and community involvement. Comments from the community participants are also included.

Additional Webinar Materials

Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC)
Community Webinar on Executive Order 13650: Chemical Facility Safety & Security

Executive Order Listening Sessions

In 2013-2014, the Working Group held a dozen listening sessions, supplemented by two online Webinars. Locations for listening sessions were selected to reach as many and as diverse a stakeholder group as possible. Many listening sessions were held both during and outside of work hours to maximize stakeholder participation.

Below are the names and dates of each listening session and a link to the notes for each listening session found in www.regulations.gov.

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Additional Information

For questions about the Executive Order, please email the Executive Order Working Group (Eo.chemical@hq.dhs.gov).

The comment period for the EO 13650: Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security Listening Sessions docket (DHS-2013-0075) closed on November 19, 2014. Comments may be viewed at: https://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=DHS-2013-0075-0001.

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