SERC-TERC Update: May 2023
Mention of non-EPA documents, presentations, training opportunities and conferences does not constitute an U.S. EPA endorsement of their contents, only an acknowledgment that they exist and may be relevant to the SERC-TERC audience.
Sign up to receive the newsletter.
Regulatory and Policy Information Related to Chemical Safety & Security
U.S. Chemical Safety Board Releases Final Report into 2020 Toxic Gas Release and Chemical Fire at Bio-Lab Facility in Westlake, LA
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final investigation report into a chemical fire and toxic gas release at the Bio-Lab facility in Westlake, Louisiana, in August 2020 following extreme weather during Hurricane Laura. In addition to recommending steps that the company and Louisiana state officials should take to prevent chemical releases during future hurricanes, the CSB’s report calls on federal regulators to increase their oversight of hazards associated with reactive chemicals.
Draft Private-Public Partnerships Guides for National Engagement Now Available for Review
FEMA is seeking content input on the “Information Sharing Guide for Private-Public Partnerships” and the “Economic Resilience Guide for Private-Public Partnerships.” These guides are for any private-public partnership. A private-public partnership is any type of cooperative arrangement between two or more entities of private industry and public sector organizations for their mutual benefit designed to help ensure the life safety, economic security and resilience of communities.
- To download the documents, visit FEMA.gov.
- To submit feedback, email the completed form on information sharing or economic resilience to NPD-Planning@fema.dhs.gov by May 25, 2023.
Publication of 30-Day Notice on CFATS Information Collection Request 1670-0007
On April 20, 2023, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published a 30-day notice in the Federal Register (88 FR 24435) soliciting public comment on Information Collection Request (ICR) 1670-0007. This Federal Register notice describes CISA’s request to continue collection of core information necessary to implement the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, including:
- Information necessary to authorize access to the Chemical Security Assessment Tool (CSAT)
- Information about a facility that possesses chemicals of interest (COI)
- Information necessary to assess whether the risk present at a facility warrants federal oversight of its security measures security risk
- Information necessary to evaluate the security measures a facility proposes to mitigate its risk
- Requests for assistance via the CSAT Help Desk
The renewal of information collection requests is a routine part of government business. ICR 1670-0007 was approved for a three-year period in July 2020 and is set to expire in July 2023. We are requesting an additional three years with the minor revisions proposed by CISA. CISA previously published a 60-Day notice for ICR 1670-0007 in the Federal Register on December 27, 2022. The comment period for the 60-Day notice for this ICR closed on February 27, 2023, and CISA did not receive any comments from the public.
- The feedback received from the CFATS-regulated community has played an important role in assisting to improve tools and mature the regulatory program. The Federal Register notice for ICR 1670-0007 is available for comment at federalregister.gov/d/2023-08341 until May 22, 2023. If you have any questions, please email CFATS@hq.dhs.gov.
Hot Topics
National Survey of State Emergency Response Commissions
In April 2023, EPA issued a report on the National Survey of State Emergency Response Commissions. The agency conducted this survey to learn how well the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act is being implemented at the state and local levels, which included collecting information on current practices, challenges, gaps, successes, and best practices. EPA is distributing this report so that State and Tribal Emergency Response Commissions can learn from the experiences of others and build a robust program.
- For more information, see the 2023 National Survey of State Emergency Response Commissions.
Launch of New EPA EPCRA Website
The EPA’s EPCRA websites have been streamlined and updated to help make information easier to find. The two main pages to bookmark are EPCRA Home and the EPCRA Site Map. The redesign centralized the EPCRA non-313 program resources under About EPCRA, provides a single webpage for all state and federal EPCRA contacts, and organized the remaining content by statute functions (Emergency Planning, Emergency Release Notifications, Hazardous Chemical Inventory Reporting, Toxics Release Inventory, and EPCRA Trade Secrets. The website also provides links to the CAMEO Software Suite. Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the new site layout, if you don’t see the information you’re seeking in the EPCRA Site Map, please check the Frequent Questions. For comments, questions, and concerns please contact barre.jennifer@epa.gov.
CISA Chemical Security Resources
CISA Chemical Security has released two new resources: the Resumen de CISA ChemLock (ChemLock Overview in Spanish) fact sheet and the Secure Your Chemicals: Potential Threats flyer. These, along with all other CISA Chemical Security resources, can be found at cisa.gov/chemical-security.
CFATS Operational Updates
To date, CISA has received over 107,000 Top-Screen submissions from over 44,000 unique facilities. Of these, CFATS covers 3,241 facilities. Additionally, the program has completed 4,659 Authorization Inspections, 10,422 Compliance Inspections, and 10,524 Compliance Assistance Visits.
Training Opportunities and Conferences
Understanding ALOHA, Virtual, May 1-5, 2023
This virtual training course is for those who want to be more proficient users of the ALOHA air dispersion modeling software, whether for response or planning activities and recommended for HazMat Technicians, Command Staff, and all LEPC/Emergency Planners. For more information, contact Tom Bergman or Carol Way at CAMEO Suite Training.
Event schedule updated regularly on ASTI website at www.ammonia-safety.com.
For a current list of events: Event Schedule
Contact ASTI via email at
asti@ammonia-safety.com or call 831-761-2935 for more information.
More Information
Environmental Protection Agency / Department of Homeland Security & US Coast Guard
Department of Labor & Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Department of Transportation / Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives/ Department of Agriculture