(Washington, DC - January 16, 2004) The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today announced it would not conduct a full investigation of Sunday's chemical accident at Huntsman Petrochemical Corporation in Port Neches, Texas. CSB investigators are en route back to Washington after two days at the plant site.

The January 11 chemical fire burned two plant workers and caused minor injuries to six others. Four workers, including the two second-degree burn victims, were treated and released at local hospitals.

Board investigators say the fire occurred during an attempt to prepare a process pipe for maintenance within a unit that produces methyl tert-butylether (MTBE), a fuel additive. The design of the pipe included a long, shallow dip where residual feedstock chemicals had accumulated, unknown to plant personnel. In preparation for the planned maintenance on January 11, workers directed steam through the pipe, inadvertently causing the residual chemicals inside to overheat and decompose. Accumulating pressure ruptured the pipe, releasing a flammable vapor cloud that then ignited, investigators believe.

The pipe involved in the accident was seldom used at the 10-year-old facility. After its last use in September, the pipe was purged with nitrogen gas, but owing to the pipeÂ?s design not all liquid chemicals were removed.

In addition to the CSB, a team from Huntsman has been investigating the incident. "Huntsman has already instituted significant corrective actions in response to Sunday's fire and is surveying the rest of the plant to determine if similar conditions may exist elsewhere," said CSB lead investigator John Vorderbrueggen. "We appreciate Huntsman's excellent cooperation with our team and look forward to reviewing the results of their completed investigation."

"This unfortunate accident emphasizes once again the importance of designing lines and equipment to facilitate safe plant operations," said CSB Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt. "Critical equipment should be designed so that workers can verify the absence of hazardous material before undertaking maintenance."

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of such events, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems. Typically, the investigations involve extensive witness interviews, examination of physical evidence, and chemical and forensic testing.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Further information about the CSB is available from www.csb.gov.

For more information, contact Daniel Horowitz, 202-261-7613 / 202-441-6074 (cell) or Sandy Gilmour Communications, 202-261-7614 / 202-251-5496 (cell).