New CSB Rule Proposed for Accidental Release ReportingNew CSB Rule Proposed for Accidental Release Reporting

December 11, 2019

2 Min Read
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The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is proposing a new rule on when a chemical facility owners or operators must file a report of an accidental release and what information the report of the incident has to contain, the agency announced in a release Wednesday.

“The purpose of the proposed rule is to ensure that the CSB receives rapid, accurate reports of any accidental release that meets established statutory criteria,” the agency wrote in the notice. “The proposed accidental release reports will only require information that is already known or should be available to an owner/operator soon after an accidental release.”

A notice on the proposed rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, the agency said. The rule will limit reports to information that will assist the CSB in determining its jurisdiction, interagency coordination, and how it should deploy its resources. Owners and operators will have to submit an estimate on the level of property damage, relevant CAS Registry numbers for the chemicals that were accidentally released, a short description of the incident, contact information, and a few other pieces of basic information. 

An average of 183 chemical accidents involving a fatality or hospitalization occurred each year between Jan. 1, 2009 and July 15, 2019, according to CSB data in the notice. 

A US District Judge ordered the agency on Feb. 4, 2019 to create a rule that requires chemical facilities to report accidental releases to the CSB as part of the court case Air Alliance of Houston, et al v. US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.

To read the full version of the Federal Register notice, click here.

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