For more information, go to: CSB 2007-2012 Strategic Plan Draft

Washington, DC, August 23, 2006 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released its Strategic Plan draft for public comment, including new goals concerning safety studies and outreach.

The full text of the draft is available from the Board's website, http://www.csb.gov, and is now available for public comment until September 29, 2006. All comments should be sent to strategicplan@csb.gov.

The CSB will also host an open forum discussion of the strategic plan draft on October 11, 2006 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at 2175 K St., NW Ste. 400 in Washington, D.C. If you are able to attend, please RSVP to the above e-mail address by September 29.

The plan emphasizes conducting CSB Safety Studies that include significant safety recommendations. The Board also plans to focus on broadly disseminating report findings, lessons, and recommendations through agency outreach efforts.

The Strategic Plan must be reviewed and revised every three years according to the Government Performance Results Act of 1993. The CSB 2007-2012 Strategic Plan draft details the legislative mandate, agency goals, factors affecting goal achievement, and relationships with other agencies.

CSB Chairman Carolyn Merritt said, "We will continue to explore means to report and distribute the lessons learned from our investigations in ways that fill the needs of the public and promote prevention of similar accidents elsewhere. In the coming years, the CSB will continue to review our body of work and use the findings to focus our prevention efforts in outreach and education."

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. 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. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

CSB investigations examine all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems, regulations, and industry standards.

For more information, contact Director of Public Affairs Dr. Daniel Horowitz at (202) 261-7613 / (202) 441-6074 cell or Public Affairs Specialist Jennifer Jones at (202) 261-3603 / (202) 577-8448 cell