Risk Management Plans

Section 112(r) of the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA) establishes chemical accident prevention provisions. These regulations, located in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 40 Part 68, require facilities that manufacture, process, store, or handle certain regulated substances in amounts greater than threshold quantities to conduct risk management planning and develop risk management plans (RMPs). RMPs identify the hazardous substances and locations at a facility, the hazards associated with each substance, the processes and chemical accident prevention steps employed to prevent an accidental release and the response/mitigation plans in the event of an accidental release. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has delegated its authority to oversee and enforce chemical accident prevention regulations in Florida to the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM).

Currently, Kennedy Space Center has an active RMP for monomethyl hydrazine stored in quantities above the regulatory thresholds.

Kennedy organizations and contractors shall contact the NASA Environmental Assurance Branch (EAB) to discuss proposed operational, process, or chemical storage changes involving RMP chemicals. An RMP may need to be created or modified and submitted to the EPA and FDEM prior to implementing those changes. The NASA EAB conducts periodic audits of Kennedy operations to ensure compliance with chemical accident prevention regulations.