Washington — The Chemical Safety Board says it will publish, on a regular basis, reports on serious chemical releases that will contain “information that has not previously been released to the public.”
Since July 2022, CSB has shared what it calls “overall data” on incidents reported to the agency under its accidental release reporting rule: facility name and location; incident date; and whether the incident included a fatality, serious injury or substantial property damage.
Now, each new incident report will include a summary of the event and its probable cause. CSB released the first compilation, which contains 26 reports, on Jan. 14. The incidents occurred in 15 states and resulted in a total of five fatalities, 17 serious injuries and about $700 million in property damage.
The initiative reflects CSB’s “commitment to transparency and information-sharing,” Board Chair Steve Owens said in a Jan. 14 press release.
“The American people have a right to know about the kinds of dangerous chemical incidents that happen across this country every week,” Owens said. “Since the CSB’s reporting rule went into effect, the agency has received hundreds of reports of incidents involving releases of hazardous chemicals that have put communities, workers and the environment at serious risk.”
