Klobuchar Writes to Biden on Importance of Filling U.S. Chemical Safety Board Vacancies

Press Release

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in a letter urging President Biden to prioritize filling vacancies on the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB). Through investigations, this board identifies the causes of chemical disasters and makes recommendations to federal agencies, companies, and the public to reduce the risk of future accidents. There are four vacancies on the five-person board, which the Senators note puts the environment, chemical workers, and the public at risk given the current backlog of investigations and safety recommendations.

The Senators wrote: "We are concerned that the ability of the CSB to undertake investigations and issue recommendations is being jeopardized by four vacancies on its five-member board. These vacancies have contributed to a backlog of over 14 investigations dating back to 2016 and more than 100 open safety recommendations that have not been finalized. This is especially concerning given that the core mission of the agency is to provide for chemical safety changes through lessons learned from previous incidents. The CSB cannot effectively accomplish that mission with only a single board member in place."

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