ACC’s Chris Jahn Testifies in Support of the Chemical Safety Board
Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment
and Public Works (EPW) held a hearing
to get the perspectives of various stakeholders regarding the importance of the
Chemical Safety Board (CSB). The hearing was also held out of concern for the
future of the CSB and to discuss what the White House and Congress can do to
help preserve the Board’s future.
What does
the CSB do?
The U.S. Chemical Safety
Board is an independent agency created
by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. When Congress created the CSB it charged
the Board with investigating industrial chemical accidents, stating “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.”
During the hearing, ACC’s Chris Jahn explained during his
testimony that “The CSB has the important job of independently
investigating major accidents and making recommendations. The CSB’s findings
are very influential and a catalyst for safety improvements.”
And Shakeel Kadri from Center for Chemical Process Safety noted in his testimony, “the CSB has investigated more than 130 major chemical incidents across the country and has issued 841 safety recommendations, 83 percent of which have been closed. The CSB’s safety reports, bulletins, and videos are widely used and cited by the industrial community, academia, professional associations, first responders, labor, and community leaders. In fact, the CSB’s 68 videos have received 6.4 million views and its YouTube channel has nearly 20,000 followers.”
What does ACC want the White House and Senate to do?
The CSB is currently operating with just two board members
and will be down to a single board member in February, which has never happened
since the Board was created.
“Unfortunately, there is a very real prospect that the Board will soon have only one full member, which is a scenario that ACC and its members would like to avoid,” Jahn warned. “That is why we urge the Administration to nominate additional well-qualified industry and process safety experts to serve on the Board. And, we ask the Senate to confirm those nominees as soon as possible.”
The Senate EPW hearing was a very important step toward avoiding a situation that no one wants – a CSB with no board members. ACC and its members thank Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper for their leadership and their commitment to safeguarding chemical facilities, workers, the public, and the environment.
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