For more information, go to: Energy Department News Release

Washington, DC, June 22, 2006 - U.S. Chemical Safety Board Member John S. Bresland will serve as one of 25 members of a new advisory committee on safety, economic, and environmental issues related to hydrogen, the Energy Department announced this week.

"Receiving candid advice from the committee is one of the many ways we are working to meet the President's goal of moving toward a hydrogen economy and reducing our dependence on foreign sources of oil," Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman said in a statement announcing formation of the new Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee.

The committee, which was formed pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, will prepare recommendations to the Department of Energy, and the department will report periodically to Congress on their implementation. In addition to Board Member Bresland, the committee will include former House Science Committee Chairman Robert Walker, biotechnology pioneer J. Craig Venter, and MIT professor and former AAAS president Mildred Dresselhaus.

"It is an honor to be selected to serve on a committee with such an important mission and such distinguished members," Mr. Bresland said. "Hydrogen is an extremely clean fuel source that also poses some unique technical and safety challenges. I look forward to contributing to the safe use of hydrogen in the future."

Mr. Bresland will continue to serve on the CSB while participating on the hydrogen advisory committee.

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, regulations, and industry standards.

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. Visit our website, www.csb.gov.

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