According to a reminder notification released by the Environmental Protection Agency in an EPA newsletter, P2/P3 RMP facilities need to conduct a notification drill by the end of this year.

“Responding P2/P3 facilities need to conduct your first tabletop exercise by the end of 2026. In conducting these tasks, you should be working with your local emergency planning committees (LEPCs)-do you know who your LEPC is? Has your facility been working and meeting with your LEPC? This is the perfect time to start and be a partner with emergency management in your community,” the EPA said in the reminder.

“Your LEPCs will also need to allot time to be a useful participant in your exercises, so be sure to not wait until the last minute to begin planning and execution of your exercises. If you are not connected with your LEPC, consult the following table for your state’s list of LEPC’s. You can consult the general RMP Reconsideration page or consult Chapter 8 in the RMP Guidance for updates to the Emergency Response Program for details.”

The Safer Communities through Chemical Accident Prevention (SCCAP) regulation is the upcoming update for the Risk Management Program. The SCCAP currently will be effective in May 2027. Highlights of the SCCAP include changes to:

• Natural Hazards-Revising the definition to include meteorological, environmental and geological phenomena that could negatively impact facility.
• Power Loss– Evaluation of standby/emergency power systems and operating procedures.
• Facility Siting-Evaluation of the placement of processes, equipment, buildings.
• Safer Technologies and Alternatives Analysis-Requiring a safer technologies and alternatives analysis, and in some cases, implementation of reliable safeguard measures for certain facilities in industry sectors with high accident rates.
• Root Cause Analysis and Third Party Compliance Audits– Requiring third-party compliance audits and root cause analysis incident investigation for facilities that have had a prior accident.
• Employee Participation-allow for employee recommendations.
• Emergency Response-Enhancing facility planning and preparedness efforts to strengthen emergency response by ensuring chemical release information is timely shared with local responders and a community notification system is in place to warn the community of any impending release
• Information Availability-Increased transparency by providing access to RMP facility information for communities nearby.

For more information, consult the EPA Risk Management Program Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention Final Rule webpage: https://www.epa.gov/rmp/risk-management-program-safer-communities-chemical-accident-prevention-final-rule.