For more information, go to: DPC Enterprises Investigation Information Page

Washington, DC, May 25, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board will be holding a community meeting in Glendale, Arizona, at 6 p.m. on June 9, 2004, concerning the chlorine release accident that occurred at the DPC Enterprises repackaging facility on November 17, 2003. Fourteen people, including ten police officers, required treatment for chlorine exposure near the facility at 4909 W. Pasadena in Glendale.

The meeting will be held at Glendale City Council Chambers at 5850 W. Glendale Avenue. The purpose of the meeting is to update the affected communities of Glendale and neighboring Phoenix on the status of the CSB investigation into the accident and to gather relevant information from the public and from emergency response agencies that might be helpful in developing findings, root causes, and recommendations for the final report.

The public is invited to attend. Those who live within the shelter-in-place area designated by local authorities at the time of the accident are being notified by letter of the meeting.

CSB Board Member John Bresland will preside over the meeting, accompanied by Board Member Rixio Medina. CSB investigators will report on the status of the agency's investigation. Following that presentation, the board members will hear testimony from a panel of emergency responders, including representatives from the Glendale fire and police departments, the Phoenix police department, and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).

A second witness panel will include representatives of community groups concerned with the issues of emergency response and chemical plant safety. After the witness panels members of the public may offer comments related to the accident.

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 chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems.

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 Sandy Gilmour Communications, 202-261-7614 / 202-251-5496 (cell). In Phoenix: Dana Weidaw, 602-402-2200 (cell).