Washington — The Chemical Safety Board “more than pays for itself in costs saved by preventing serious chemical incidents,” Chair Steve Owens is asserting as the agency again is being targeted for elimination.
Owens’ message is part of a CSB video titled Safety Pays Off: The Value of Vigilance. The video, published June 23, touts recent accomplishments of the independent, nonregulatory agency, which has issued more than 1,000 safety recommendations aimed at protecting workers in its 27-year history. It also includes a brief review of various agency investigations of serious chemical incidents that resulted in worker deaths and injuries, as well as damage to nearby communities and property.
Under an appendix to the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal – released May 30 – CSB would shutter “not later than Sept. 30, 2026.”
The agency was a frequent target for elimination during President Donald Trump’s first term. Each year, however, Congress voted to continue funding CSB. The agency’s FY 2025 budget is $14 million.
“Strong safety programs are critical for the economic success of our nation’s chemical industry and for the health and safety of the people who work in chemical facilities and those who live near them,” Owens says in the video. “If the CSB’s many safety lessons have prevented at least one catastrophic chemical incident, the money saved by protecting lives, preventing serious injuries and damage to facilities, safeguarding surrounding communities, and avoiding costly litigation and legal settlements far exceeds the CSB’s modest annual budget.”
