[Federal Register: September 6, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 173)]
[Notices]
[Page 56982-56983]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06se02-27]
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CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD
Sunshine Act Meeting; Public Meeting: Reactive chemical hazards,
CSB business
AGENCY: Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB).
ACTION: Notice announcing Sunshine Act public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The CSB will hold a public meeting on September 17, 2002 in
Houston, Texas at the Hilton Houston Hobby Airport, to deliberate and
vote on a series of findings and recommendations arising from a two-
year investigation into reactive chemical hazards. The Board will also
conduct other business as more fully described below.
DATES: The Public Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2002,
beginning at 9 a.m. at Hilton Houston Hobby Airport, 8181 Airport
Boulevard, Houston, TX 77061, Telephone number: (713) 645-3000.
Pre-Registration: The event is open to the public and there is no
fee for attendance. However, attendees are strongly encouraged to pre-
register, to ensure adequate seating arrangements. To pre-register,
please e-mail your name and affiliation by September 12th, to
reactives@csb.gov. Please notify CSB if a translator or interpreter is
needed 5 business days prior to the public meeting.
The public meeting will be broadcast live and without charge over
the Internet from the CSB Web site, www.chemsafety.gov. The broadcast
can be viewed using the Windows Media Player, available from
www.microsoft.com. Closed captioning service will be provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Wager at (202)-261-7636, or e-
mail at: reactives@csb.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On August 24, 2000 the CSB approved an investigative report on the
April 1998 explosion at the Morton Specialty Chemical's (now Rohm and
Haas) Paterson, New Jersey facility. The report stated that the
incident might not have occurred had the company's safety program for
reactive chemicals followed recommended industry safety practices. The
blast injured nine workers and released chemicals into the neighboring
community. The Board adopted a number of recommendations, including two
to both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The first
recommendation requested that EPA and OSHA issue joint guidelines for
the management of reactive chemical process hazards. The Board believed
that existing federal safety standards did not provide sufficient
guidance for reactive chemical process safety, in such areas as
reporting and investigating deviations from normal operations, the use
of chemical screening techniques and the proper design for pressure
relief, emergency cooling and safety interlock systems.
The other recommendation involving OSHA and EPA urged the two
agencies to join the CSB, and other chemical safety organizations,
including industry, in a CSB ``hazard investigation'' of reactive
chemical processes.
Current Investigation
The objectives of CSB's investigation included: evaluation of the
impacts of reactive chemical incidents; examination of how OSHA and EPA
authorities and regulations address reactive hazards; analysis of the
appropriateness and consideration of alternatives to reliance on the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) instability rating system
to define reactive substances covered under OSHA's process safety
management (PSM) regulation; examination of how industry and other
private sector organizations address reactive hazards; and development
of recommendations for reducing the number and severity of reactive
chemical incidents.
During its study, the CSB staff examined 167 chemical incidents and
held a public hearing on May 30th, 2002, in Paterson, New Jersey, City
where the staff presented findings and preliminary conclusions from
this investigation to the Board. The hearing also provided a forum for
interested parties to provide input prior to CSB's formulation of final
recommendations and issuance of a report.
[[Page 56983]]
Other Board Business
After the conclusion of the presentation of the reactives
investigation report, Board Members will also meet in open session on
the following topics: (a) Revisions to CSB strategic plan, (b) update
by the Chief Operating Officer on current CSB investigative efforts,
and (c) status changes to selected CSB recommendations.
Christopher W. Warner,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 02-22853 Filed 9-4-02; 3:45 pm]
BILLING CODE 6350-01-P