For more information, go to: CSB Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Justification

(Washington, DC - February 3, 2004) The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released its proposed Fiscal Year 2005 budget, asking Congress for increases of $1.2 million in annual operating funds and $400,000 in the agency's new emergency reserve fund.

Under provisions of the Board's authorizing statute, the agency proposes its annual budget independently from the executive branch. The proposal was transmitted yesterday to House and Senate appropriators and to the Office of Management and Budget.

Commenting on the new request, CSB Chairman Carolyn Merritt said, "The Board has made significant strides in productivity over the past two years. With those gains come additional costs for investigative and staff support and for outreach to disseminate the lessons from our investigation reports. The BoardÂ?s new budget will provide the funds necessary to get potentially life-saving information into the hands of industry managers and workers who need it."

If enacted, the new budget will provide funds for an expanded outreach effort focused on the approximately 100 new safety recommendations the CSB issues each year to industry, government, labor, and other organizations.

Chairman Merritt said, "By and large, the companies that experience major accidents will follow our recommendations and will take steps to ensure that those accidents are not repeated. The challenge for us is to provide that same safety information to the many other organizations that may have similar processes and similar hazards - before further accidents occur."

Additional moneys would provide for an expansion of the CSB's technical writing and information technology programs. The expanded emergency fund would help defray exceptional costs associated with a major accident investigation.

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).