UNITED STATES, — Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, alongside Arkansas and 12 other states, filed a petition on May 9 for review against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), believing several industries will be burdened by its revised Risk Management Program (RMP).
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, who is listed on the petition, finalized revisions to the program in February. The goal of the revisions is to protect vulnerable and surrounding communities from any chemical accidents at nearby facilities.
"The final rule includes new safeguards such as identifying safer technologies and chemical alternatives, requiring implementation of safeguard measures in certain cases, more thorough incident investigations, and third-party auditing," according to the EPA.
The following states are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to declare the rule unlawful and vacate it:
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- The Arizona Legislature
"The amendments to the Risk Management Program are unwarranted and they contain significant security concerns," Drummond said. "Industries in Oklahoma and the consumers they serve should not be punished because of yet another misguided and overly burdensome edict from the EPA."
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