The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the agency’s board members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
The CSB’s mission is to “drive chemical safety change through independent investigation to protect people and the environment.” Sadly, the CSB is failing in its mission. Wrought by cratering morale, personnel issues, industry influence and weak regulations.
Lax chemical safety monitoring and reporting could result in serious mass casualty events. Massive refinery explosions are a textbook example of dangerous chemicals mixing with lack of oversight and a profits-over-safety approach to management. Politicians and regulatory agencies, however, are blocking critical steps to prevent future plant explosions and to hide the chemical content of plumes that coat communities after explosions. PEER is pushing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the use of Hydrogen Fluoride (HF), a highly volatile and deadly chemical used at many refineries, we are fighting for the implementation of laws that let communities, firefighters and first responders know what chemicals are released into their communities as the result of fires, explosions and releases.
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After more than 20 years of delay and a successful lawsuit by PEER and chemical safety advocacy groups, the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) dashed hopes that it would at long...
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