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U.S. Plans New Look at Chemical Safety
U.S. paint and coating makers plan to closely monitor—and, preferably, help shape—any changes planned as part of a new federal-level review of chemical facility safety.
The White House has announced a series of steps aimed at improving chemical safety and security amid a growing series of catastrophic accidents, including the April plant explosion that killed 15 people in West, TX.
President Obama has signed Executive Order 13650: Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security, which:
Paint and Coatings Impact
Any such changes could potentially affect the paint and coatings industry.
The American Coatings Association, which represents manufacturers, reported the Executive Order to its members Aug. 6 and says it expects "opportunities for industry participation in this process, including through the CSCC."
The Chemical Sector Coordinating Council is a group of chemical industry trade associations and owner/operators, including the ACA, "who are committed to enhancing the physical and cybersecurity of the sector."
The council says it aims to "facilitate effective coordination" between federal infrastructure programs and infrastructure protection activities in the private and other public sectors.
Action Items
The Executive Order, signed Aug. 1, sets 45- and 90-day clocks for several efforts, including:
Notably, the order specifically instructs the new Working Group to "take into account the capabilities, limitations, and needs of the first responder community."
Most of the victims killed in the West, TX, blast and blaze were volunteer emergency responders. In all, the disaster killed 15 people; injured more than 160; and destroyed or damaged scores of homes and other structures.
West, TX, Disaster
The specific cause of the West Fertilizer Co. blast has not been determined, but the facility stored 54,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, a toxic, highly explosive chemical that is easily ignited.
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| Shane.torgerson / Wikimedia |
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President Obama's order followed the massive explosion that rocked West, TX, in April. That disaster killed 15 people, most of them volunteer emergency responders. |
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration had last inspected the facility in 1985, when the agency issued a $30 fine for improper storage of anhydrous ammonia.
According to a 2012 filing with the Environmental Protection Agency, West Fertilizer said it stored 540,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate and 110,000 pounds of anhyrdous ammonia on the site.
However, that information was apparently not shared with the Department of Homeland Security, which must be notified of ammonium nitrate stores of that magnitude.
Order Applauded
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, an independent government agency that has long demanded tougher chemical safety laws and regulations, applauded the new Executive Order.
"Incidents the CSB has been investigating, such as the recent tragic explosion and fire in West, TX, have revealed serious gaps in the prevention of accidents and in response preparations for major chemical releases by companies and government authorities, leaving Americans vulnerable," board chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said in a statement.
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said his agency hoped the order would lead to updated EPA and OSHA chemical safety regulations. |
Moure-Eraso singled out for praise Obama's call for review of the Risk Management Plan and the Process Safety Management standard. The Chemical Safety Board has urged updates to both for years.
"The West accident showed a particularly glaring need for comprehensive regulation of reactive chemical hazards and in particular ammonium nitrate," said Moure-Eraso.
"The destruction I personally saw there—the obliteration of homes, schools, and businesses by an ammonium nitrate explosion—was almost beyond imagination. The loss of life was horrible.
"It is my hope that this Executive Order will spur development of regulation and enforcement for the safe handling of ammonium nitrate and other gaps in the coverage of reactive hazards that the CSB has previously identified to help prevent future incidents."
