The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced that its Wednesday, June 10 public meeting will include a morning stakeholder discussion on the direction of agency strategy and plans, and an afternoon presentation on Board findings and recommendations concerning the 2009 Caribbean Petroleum tank overfill incident in Puerto Rico.

The meeting will be held at the CSB’s offices in Washington, D.C., and will begin at 9am. The entire meeting will be webcast at www.windrosemedia.com/windstream/csb/

The morning session will bring together CSB stakeholders from industry, labor, trade, professional associations, and environmental organizations to discuss:

•    What emerging safety issues should the CSB consider studying in greater detail
•    What other issues should the CSB consider in its next four year strategic plan
•    How can the CSB optimize its investigations and recommendations?

“I am looking forward to a valuable discussion that will inform our mission to help prevent chemical catastrophes,” said board member Mark Griffon.
 
The afternoon session will present Board findings, formal safety recommendations, and excerpts from a safety video concerning the October 23, 2009, massive fire at the Caribbean Petroleum facility located near San Juan, Puerto Rico. The explosion sent huge flames and smoke plumes into the air and damaged the surrounding community.

The incident occurred during a transfer of more than 10 million gallons of gasoline from a tanker vessel docked two and a half miles from the facility when there was a large overflow of gasoline from an aboveground storage tank, which led to a huge vapor cloud, which ignited.

At the conclusion of the public comment period, the Board will deliberate on the final Board report and recommendations. The Board meeting is free and open to the public. Members of the audience will have an opportunity to comment on the draft report and new safety recommendations, as presented by the investigative staff.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.

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