EPA Moves to Rescind Much of a 2024 Chemical Safety Rule

Why It Matters

The decision could reshape chemical safety standards, balancing industry cost concerns against community and worker health protections.

Key Takeaways

• EPA proposes rescinding most 2024 RMP provisions
• Industry could save up to $240 million annually
• Community groups sue to preserve safety enhancements
• American Chemistry Council backs data‑driven approach
• Trump EPA argues rule is overly prescriptive

Pulse Analysis

The Risk Management Program, first introduced in 1996, has long been a flashpoint between regulators, industry, and public safety advocates. Over three decades, the rule evolved through successive administrations, reflecting shifting priorities from strict hazard controls to more flexible, cost‑focused frameworks. The 2024 revision marked a significant departure, embedding requirements for safer chemicals, third‑party accident investigations, and direct community involvement, after nearly 60,000 comments underscored growing demand for stronger protections.

EPA’s latest proposal seeks to strip away those 2024 enhancements, arguing that the added compliance burden imposes unnecessary costs on manufacturers. By eliminating mandates for safer‑technology development and third‑party audits, the agency projects annual industry savings of $240 million, with the American Chemistry Council praising a return to a "data‑driven, performance‑focused" approach. However, critics—including Earthjustice, several states, and the United Steelworkers—contend that the rollback jeopardizes worker safety and community health, filing litigation to preserve the 2024 gains.

The controversy highlights a broader regulatory crossroads for the chemical sector. If EPA proceeds, companies may experience short‑term financial relief, but the potential erosion of safety standards could trigger heightened public scrutiny, ESG pressures, and possible state‑level interventions. Conversely, maintaining the 2024 rule could drive innovation in safer processes while increasing compliance costs. Stakeholders will watch upcoming public hearings and the Federal Register notice closely, as the outcome will influence the balance between economic competitiveness and environmental health in the United States.

EPA moves to rescind much of a 2024 chemical safety rule

Proposed changes made public last week would overhaul the agency’s risk management program · February 20, 2026

![Crews remove chemicals at the Seqens/PCI Synthesis pharmaceutical plant on May 5, 2023, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Credit: Associated Press]

The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to modify an industrial safety regulation covering the activities of some 11,000 chemical‑related manufacturing, warehouse, and storage facilities.

The agency released a pre‑publication version of its proposed changes to the Risk Management Program (RMP) regulation last week. The RMP rule was first proposed in 1996 and is intended to encourage industrial safety and to address community and worker safety, particularly for handling hazardous chemicals. For much of its 30‑year history, the regulation has been a political ping‑pong bounced between the conflicting views of worker and community safety versus industry manufacturing independence.

Over the last decade, proposals to change the rule have been put forth by three presidential administrations, with community groups and worker unions seeking more authority to limit or eliminate dangerous processes and chemicals, and industry groups seeking to retain authority over these same processes and the chemicals they use in manufacturing and storage.

The most recent changes to the RMP rule occurred in 2024, after years of review and the input of nearly 60,000 commenters. They included new provisions calling for companies to consider and possibly implement safer technologies and chemicals, to require safety audits by third parties following an accident, and to allow community members and workers to take part in plant‑specific safety‑related discussions.

The EPA’s latest proposal would rescind much of the provisions in the 2024 update. The proposal lacks detailed options and specific proposed regulatory language but identifies what EPA considers problems with the current rule. The agency will hold public meetings to discuss alternatives after it publishes the proposed rule in the Federal Register.

The Donald J. Trump EPA says cost savings for industry could reach $240 million a year under its proposal by eliminating some requirements of the 2024 regulation. More than half would be due to reductions in requirements for development and implementation of safer technologies at chemical facilities. Other large savings would come from reducing employee participation in manufacturing decisions and ending accident‑process audits by third parties.

The American Chemistry Council backs the EPA’s new proposal, which it says will restore a “data‑driven, performance‑focused approach to RMP.” “We commend EPA Administrator Zeldin and EPA leadership for pursuing a framework that prioritizes proven approaches to risk reduction,” the council said.

Similarly, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers president Chet Thompson thanked the Trump EPA for ending what he called a rigid prescriptive approach to technologies and “suggesting, far too often, multi‑million‑dollar one‑size‑fits‑all mandates to achieve regulatory compliance.” Both organizations had strongly criticized the 2024 final rule.

On the other hand, the environmental legal organization Earthjustice opposes the EPA’s proposal and is representing a host of community, environmental, health, and scientist groups in a lawsuit to defend the 2024 rule. The lawsuit has also been joined by several states and the United Steelworkers (USW), which represents workers at several chemical manufacturing sites.

The proposal “eliminates most of the modest improvements in the 2024 regulation and it needlessly endangers workers and communities,” says Steve Sallman, USW director of health, safety and environment.