CSB | MEDIA RESOURCES |
Background on the CSB |
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CSB Media Contacts Dr. Daniel Horowitz, CSB Director of Congressional, Public, and Board Affairs, at (202) 261-7613 / (202) 441-6074 cell; Sandy Gilmour Communications at (202) 261-7614 or (202) 251-5496 cell; or Hillary Cohen, Public Affairs Specialist, at (202) 261-3601 or (202) 446-8094 cell. |
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Referring to the CSB in Print and Broadcast |
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Breaking News: Covering Chemical Accidents - the severity of the accident consequences, such as deaths, injuries, environmental impact or property damage; - the nature of the facility and materials involved; - the actual and potential effects of the accident on members of the public, including emergency responders. Once the CSB investigative team has arrived on site and conducted a preliminary assessment, a decision is made whether to launch a full-scale investigation, which leads to a determination of the root causes of the accident. The goal of all CSB investigations is to develop safety recommendations that will help prevent similar accidents in the future. All final CSB investigation reports are public documents. |
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What Information to Expect from the CSB Depending on availability, the Board member or the lead investigator serves as the CSB spokesperson. Board members and investigators are seldom in a position to provide any factual information about accidents until they have begun interviewing plant operators and workers and conducted a preliminary inspection of the accident site. However, Board spokespeople can provide reporters with information about why the CSB is on the scene and what is involved in investigating these kinds of accidents. As the investigation proceeds, Board members and investigators may be able to discuss potential accident scenarios or factual circumstances that have been discovered. It is important to caution, however, that most investigations take six months to a year to complete, and a final determination of causes requires a vote of the full Board. Until the investigation is complete, all statements, press releases, or other information should be treated as preliminary and subject to possible revision. |
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After the First Few Days of an Accident The CSB may convene a public hearing, board of inquiry or community meeting in the course of the investigation. Such events are usually held near the accident site and are open to the public and the news media. Preliminary findings from the investigation may be released at those meetings. The CSB may also issue periodic news releases on key facts or may issue a safety alert, should findings warrant immediate notification of similar facilities. When a final investigation report is ready for Board consideration, the Board usually convenes a public meeting to review and approve the reports findings and recommendations. These meetings are conducted in Washington, DC, or in the affected communities, as appropriate. A press conference or media availability session is usually held in conjunction with these public meetings. |
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Accident Data and Records As a public service, the CSB compiles news reports of chemical accidents from around the country, available from this website in the Incident News Reports section. However, the information contained in these reports is not necessarily complete, has not been independently verified by the CSB, and should not be used to draw any statistical conclusions. The CSB does not maintain inspection or enforcement records or information about chemical inventories at specific sites. Such records may be available from OSHA, EPA, and state and local authorities. |
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Arrangements with Other Agencies In certain cases, CSB's civil investigation occurs concurrently with a federal or state criminal investigation. Release of information may be limited while a criminal probe is ongoing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), NTSB, EPA, OSHA, and ATSDR are among the other federal agencies that frequently deploy teams to chemical accident sites. The CSB maintains agreements, known as Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), with each of these agencies to ensure effective coordination in the field. In many cases, CSB's initial release of accident information may be conducted jointly with other responding federal agencies. |