Former US CSB head disappointed by proposal to end agency

HOUSTON (ICIS)–John Bresland, the former CEO of the Chemical Safety Board (CSB), said late on Thursday that he was disappointed that a proposed budget would have the effect of eliminating the agency.

President Donald Trump’s partial 2018 budget outline proposes large spending cuts to most government agencies, which will then be used to pay for increases in military spending. The CSB is included in the cuts.

The fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget still needs to be approved by the two chambers of the US Congress.

“I hope that when the committees in the House and Senate are preparing the appropriations for FY 2018, they will realise the value of the CSB’s investigations and recommendations and continue to appropriate funds for its operations,” Bresland said in a statement sent to ICIS.

“I believe that budget decisions should be made on the need for and the value of the work of the CSB and not on an arbitrary decision to eliminate it,” he said.

The CSB is an independent federal agency which conducts investigations on chemical accidents. The agency notes that its board does not issue citations or fines, but does make safety recommendations to companies, industry organisations, labour groups and regulatory agencies.

Bresland was first appointed to the Chemical Safety Board in 2002 by President George Bush. He was nominated again in 2007 and chosen to be chairman. He left the board in 2010.

During Bresland’s tenure, the CSB investigated several high-profile accidents at refineries and chemical plants in the US.

These included the former BP refinery explosion at Texas City, Texas, that killed 15 workers and injured about 180 others in 2005. The refinery is now owned by Marathon Petroleum.

Another involved a 2008 explosion at a Bayer CropScience plant near Charleston, West Virginia. The plant is now closed.

“The CSB has shown its value over the last 20 years with its independent investigations of incidents in oil refineries and chemical plants,” Bresland said. “For example, the investigation of the BP Texas City explosion, the increased awareness of the hazards of combustible dust explosions, the increased emphasis on process safety in addition to personnel safety.”

He added, “The work of the CSB is recognised around the world by the videos of the results of its investigations.”

Bresland estimates that the CSB’s budget is $11m/year, an amount that he said “is money well spent in preventing worker injuries and fatalities and the multi-billion dollar costs of catastrophic incidents”.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC), the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) did not release statements on Thursday specifically addressing the budget proposal for the CSB.

Above image: The CSB investigated the explosion at the former BP refinery in Texas City, Texas.

Additional reporting by David Haydon