Chemical Safety Board to Discuss Chemical Safety Issues

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) will hold a public business meeting on Wednesday, July 22, 2015, to discuss chemical safety issues, including the status of current CSB investigations at Dupont in LaPorte, TX, and West Fertilizer in West, TX.  The Board will also discuss and may vote on the Caribbean Petroleum investigation report.

The meeting will be held at the CSB’s offices located at 2175 K St. NW, 4th floor, Washington, DC, 20037 from 9:30 am to about 12:30 pm. Those unable to attend in person may use this call-in number: 1-877-691-2551 (U.S. toll free), or 1-630-691-2747 (U.S. toll), confirmation number: 40238148. A moderated public comment period will be available for those not able to attend the meeting in-person.

Board member Rick Engler said, “In keeping with the CSB’s new emphasis on public transparency and engagement, this meeting provides another opportunity for a public discussion on the board’s ongoing safety initiatives.”

At the meeting, these topics will be discussed:
•    Updates on current CSB investigations
•    The final report, recommendations, and public comments received on the Caribbean Petroleum incident, a massive fire at an oil storage facility in Puerto Rico in 2009. The Board may then vote on the Caribbean Petroleum report.
•    A staff presentation on the calendared recommendation to BP resulting from the CSB’s investigation into the 2005 BP America refinery explosion in Texas City, TX
•    Staff reports on recommendations related to California’s draft Process Safety Management rules and laboratory safety guidelines from the American Chemical Society

Additional information regarding agenda items will be posted on the CSB website at www.csb.gov.

Members of the public attending the meeting or on the phone are encouraged to participate in the public comment periods. Participants are welcome to make statements to the Board concerning the agenda items or other topics related to board operation. The time provided for public statements will depend upon the number of people who wish to speak. Speakers should assume that their presentations will be limited to five minutes or less.

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 employers, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.

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