"EPA Moves To Undo Obama-Era Chemical Disaster Rules"

"WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took steps on Thursday to roll back and delay Obama-era rules aimed at improving safety at chemical plants, which had come in response to a 2013 explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas that killed 15 people.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt introduced a proposal to rescind the measures, saying it would save the industry tens of millions of dollars a year and “better address potential security risks.”

“The rule proposes to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, address the concerns of stakeholders and emergency responders on the ground, and save Americans roughly $88 million a year,” Pruitt said in a statement.

The proposal would also delay some of the compliance dates of the Obama-era amendments and cancel certain provisions that address accident prevention."

Valerie Volcovici reports for Reuters May 17, 2018.