EPA Issues Controversial Rule To Improve Safety At Chemical Facilities

"More than three years after an official prompt from the President, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a long-awaited rule aimed at preventing disasters like the 2010 refinery explosion that killed seven workers in Anacortes, Washington.

That tragedy was the subject of a recent joint investigation into worker safety by the Center for Public Integrity and Al Jazeera English, which highlighted a culture of repeated safety lapses at the Tesoro refinery.

The new rule, which was signed by outgoing EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy on Wednesday, represents a significant set of changes to the agency’s Risk Management Program."

Jie Jenny Zoue reports for the Center for Public Integrity December 22, 2016.