Washington, DC, November 2, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today announced that Charles Jeffress has tendered his resignation as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Mr. Jeffress was appointed to the position in June 2002. Board Chairman and CEO Carolyn W. Merritt stated: "Charles served with us during an important period of growth for the CSB. We thank him for his two years of service to the agency and we wish him well in the future."

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.

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. Further information about the CSB is available from www.csb.gov.

For more information, contact Daniel Horowitz at (202) 261-7613 / (202) 441-6074 or Sandy Gilmour at (202) 261-7614 / (202) 251-5496.