The critical situation at a chemical plant compromised by Hurricane Harvey’s flooding is all over the news, and rightfully so. Two small containers of highly volatile organic peroxides have already exploded, and residents living within a 1.5-mile radius of the Houston-area plant were asked to evacuate. Fifteen local sheriff’s deputies went to the hospital after getting close to the plant, though all have been released. And Arkema officials say that the worst may not be over. A larger explosion could still occur.

In a statement, the Environmental Protection Agency said it had deployed an aircraft to secure chemical information from the smoke cloud and has sent air monitoring personnel to the scene, as well as a disaster response coordinator. “We will consider using any authority we have to further address the situation to protect human health and the environment,” Administrator Scott Pruitt said in a statement.



But as the crisis is unfolding, we shouldn’t forget that Pruitt’s EPA is delaying an Obama-era chemical safety plant rule that would soon have covered this very plant. In June, the EPA announced it would delay implementation of what environmental groups call the Chemical Disaster Rule for two years. Pruitt’s reason, of course, was industry concerns—specifically, the concerns that it would be hard for companies to implement, and that disclosure of their chemicals could be a national security threat.

The rule, which is actually an amendment to the federal Risk Management Program, was intended to improve accident preparation at facilities. Former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy told me it was “specifically designed to make sure that large chemical facilities and refineries do more to ensure they are prepared for emergencies and provide local communities with the information they need to deal with potential explosions and releases just like the ones we are seeing today.”

Here are some of the specifics, via ThinkProgress’ Natasha Geiling:

