(Washington, DC – August 14, 2002) Carolyn Merritt has assumed responsibility as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), ending a two-and-a-half year vacancy in the position.

Process safety consultant and former Honeywell executive John Bresland filled the fifth Board seat on August 8. Merritt and Bresland were nominated by President Bush in June 2002 and then confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 1. Each of the five Board members serves a fixed term of five years.

Merritt, who served as Senior Vice President for Environment, Health, and Safety for IMC Global before joining the CSB, said she was looking forward to the challenges of public service. "I am honored by this appointment from the President. The chemical industry, in which I have spent most of my career, is a vital contributor to the U.S. economy and quality of life. The Chemical Safety Board has an important role to play in ensuring the safety of the industry, the people who work in it, and the communities where chemical plants are located."

Merritt said her initial priorities would be to study the agency’s new proposed strategic plan for 2003 and to review the status of the Board’s five ongoing investigations.

The CSB is an independent federal agency established in 1998 with the mission to protect workers, the public, and the environment by investigating and preventing chemical accidents. The CSB determines the root causes of these accidents and makes safety recommendations to government agencies, companies and other organizations. The CSB does not issue fines or citations or apportion responsibility for accidents.