APCD's Risk Management Plan Program

The Risk Management Plan (RMP) Program exists to improve the safety of communities surrounding facilities that handle hazardous chemicals.

The program requires facilities that use or store more than a specified amount of flammable or extremely hazardous chemicals to develop a risk management plan that involves:

• Completing a hazard assessment that documents the potential effects of an accidental release, the source's accident history, and an evaluation of worst-case and alternative scenarios.
• Managing a prevention program that includes safety precautions and maintenance procedures, required monitoring, and employee training measures for preventing and reacting to potential releases.
• Maintaining a response program to be used in the case of an accidental release. This includes emergency health care and procedures for informing the public and response agencies. 

There are 17 facilities in Louisville subject to the RMP:
 

The district partners with the Metro Emergency Management Agency (EMA) to administer the program. The EMA serves as the primary inspector to ensure the facilities are compliant with RMP requirements, and acts as the first responder for accidental releases, chemical emergencies, and other related events.

RMP is required by Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, and is administered locally by Regulation 5.15 Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions. Regulation 5.15 sets forth the list and thresholds of regulated substances as well as the requirements for owners or operators of stationary sources concerning the prevention of accidental releases. Beyond what is required by federal law, the local regulation requires facilities to contract with an independent third party to perform a compliance audit, to conduct incident investigations after accidental releases that are more in-depth and include a root cause analysis after certain accidents, and to apply safer technology and alternatives analysis (STAA) for new projects.

All stationary sources that are subject to Regulation 5.15 and are located within Louisville/Jefferson County must register a Risk Management Plan with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) contractor.

Facilities looking for more information, including how to register your facility's RMP, can access the U.S. EPA web page on emergency management. Questions may also be directed to the APCD at (502) 574-6000 or through this email form.
 

Resources

• APCD Comments on EPA Proposal "Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Program Under the Clean Air Act; Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention" October 31, 2022
• "RMP Overview, Local Implementation, and US EPA Proposal" - Presentation to Air Pollution Control Board October 19, 2022
• Regulatory Impact Analysis of RMP Rule Change April 21, 2021