For more information, go to: White House Personnel Announcement

Washington, DC, August 4, 2004 - The President has appointed Gary Lee Visscher, of Maryland, to be a Member of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), the White House announced.

Mr. Visscher currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health for the U.S. Department of Labor. Previously, he served as Vice President of Employee Relations for the American Iron and Steel Institute. Earlier in his career, Mr. Visscher was appointed to serve as a Member of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. He earned his bachelor's degree from Calvin College and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Mr. Visscher's appointment, which occurred during a Senate recess, is set to continue through the first session of the next Congress. Mr. Visscher is expected to be sworn in during the next several weeks.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. 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. Further information about the CSB is available from www.csb.gov.

For more information, contact Daniel Horowitz at 202-261-7613.