US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
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| State level | Federal Government (United States) | ||
| Consist | since 1998 | ||
| Headquarters | 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC | ||
| Authority management | Katherine Lemos | ||
| Website | www.csb.gov | ||
The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board ( CSB ) is an independent agency of the US government based in Washington, DC. It investigates industrial accidents. Board members are appointed by the President of the United States and approved by the Senate .
history
The US Chemical Safety Board was empowered by the Clean Air Act of 1990 and began work in January 1998.
"The principal role of the new chemical safety board is to investigate accidents to determine the conditions and circumstances which led up to the event and to identify the cause or causes so that similar events might be prevented."
"The main role of the new Chemical Safety Board is to investigate accidents to determine the conditions and circumstances that led to the event and to identify the cause or circumstances so that similar events can be prevented."
Congress gave the CSB a unique legal mandate: no other agency or executive officer may influence the activities of the CSB. Following the successful model of the National Transportation Safety Board and the United States Department of Transportation , Congress decided that the CSB should conduct its investigative work completely independently of regulatory and enforcement agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). performs. Congress recognized that the board could also identify loopholes in the regulations and activities of the EPA and OSHA if it was not subordinate to these authorities or involved in their administration. Well-known investigations by the agency are the investigations into the cause of the refinery explosion in Texas City , the accident on the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform and the explosion at the West Fertilizer Company .
President Trump's proposal to dissolve the board for financial reasons, announced in March 2017, was described as a disappointment by then-head of the board, Vanessa Allen Sutherland . With an annual budget of around US $ 12 million, the US Chemical Safety Board has contributed to a considerable improvement in the safety of industrial plants. The proposed dissolution of the board led to protests from both citizens and companies. The reduction of the risks emanating from chemical plants is called into question. The final decision on the dissolution is made by Congress. Sutherland resigned prematurely as head of the CSB in June 2018. Her acting successor was Kristen Kulinowski. In March 2020, Katherine Lemos was appointed by Congress as chief executive officer for a regular five-year term.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Website - Mission
- ^ Clean Air Act Amendments, Legislative History - Senate Report No. 101-228 (PDF; 41 kB). (PDF; 41 kB) Accessed July 7, 2013 .
- ↑ Statement from the CSB's Chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland on FY 2018 Budget. US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, March 16, 2017, accessed March 17, 2017 .
- ↑ CSB 'Disappointed' President's Budget Proposes Elimination. Occupational Health & Safety, March 17, 2017, accessed March 17, 2017 .
- ↑ Jeff Johnson: US Chemical Safety Board faces death sentence. Chemical & Engineering News , May 22, 2017, accessed June 24, 2017 (English, Volume 95, Issue 21, p. 30).
- ↑ Dr. Kristen Kulinowski Now Serving as Interim Executive Authority. US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, June 22, 2018, accessed July 9, 2018 .
- ↑ PN971 - Katherine Andrea Lemos - Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. In: www.congress.gov. 116th Congress (2019–2020), March 23, 2020, accessed on June 24, 2020 .