Accidental chemical releases (including those of propane, ammonia, chlorine, and other substances) present hazards for companies large and small. With the right preparation and preventive efforts outlined in a Risk Management Plan (RMP), the risks posed to a business and its surrounding community can be mitigated. Compliance is crucial, as the submitted information helps local fire, police, and emergency response personnel in their preparation for and response to chemical accidents, and it is also useful for citizens who wish to understand the chemical hazards local to their communities.

The RMP rule, created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after passage of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, requires owners and operators of a facility that manufactures, uses, stores, or otherwise handles more than a threshold quantity of a listed regulated substance in a process to implement a set of hazard assessment, accident prevention, and emergency response elements and submit a single written RMP to the EPA or the state implementing agency for all covered processes at the facility.