United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Seal
Logo
Agency overview
FormedJanuary 1998
JurisdictionUnited States federal government
Headquarters
Agency executive
Websitewww.csb.gov Edit this at Wikidata
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers425,000

The United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (USCSB), abbreviated as the Chemical Safety Board (CSB), is an independent agency of the United States federal government charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the United States Senate. The CSB conducts root cause investigations of chemical accidents at fixed industrial facilities.

History

The United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) was authorized by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and became operational in January 1998. According to the Senate legislative history, the board’s main role is to investigate chemical accidents, determine their causes, and help prevent similar incidents. The United States Congress gave the CSB an independent mandate, specifying that no other agency or executive branch official may direct its activities.

Old seal of the CSB used from 1998 to 2003.
Seal of the CSB (1998-2003)

Following the successful model of the National Transportation Safety Board and the Department of Transportation, Congress directed that the CSB's investigative function be completely independent of the rulemaking, inspection, and enforcement authorities of the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Congress recognized that board investigations would identify chemical hazards that were not addressed by those agencies. Also similarly to the National Transportation Safety Board, the CSB performs "investigations [that] identify the root causes of chemical incidents and share these findings broadly across industries to prevent future incidents."

Following criticism from lawmakers and allegations of mismanagement, the former chairman of the CSB, Rafael Moure-Eraso, resigned in March 2015. He was replaced by Vanessa Allen Sutherland in August 2015. Sutherland resigned with two years left in her five-year term after the Trump administration proposed shutting down the CSB as part of the 2019 United States federal budget which ultimately would not occur.

In 2025, President Donald Trump announced plans to defund and close the CSB by 2026, citing overlapping capabilities of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but was rebuffed by the United States Congress, which passed additional agency funding following a government shutdown.

On September 30, 2026, the CSB uploaded a video with a new narrator, Sam Witwer. Sheldon Smith, the previous narrator, retired from narrating their videos after twenty years. This video is of their investigation and findings into the BP-Husky refinery fire that occurred September 20, 2022, which fatally injured two workers.

Leadership

The board consists of five members who are appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate. The terms of office are five years. The president designates one of the members as chairperson, again with the advice and consent of the Senate. The chairperson is the chief executive officer of the board, and exercises the executive and administrative functions of the board.

Chairs

No. Portrait Director Took office Left office Refs.
1 Paul L. Hill, Jr. October 7, 1994 January 12, 2000
2 Carolyn W. Merritt August 2002 August 2, 2007
3 John S. Bresland March 14, 2008 June 2010
4 Rafael Moure-Eraso June 23, 2010 March 26, 2015
5 Vanessa Allen Sutherland August 2015 June 2018
6 Katherine A. Lemos April 23, 2020 July 22, 2022
7 Steve Owens January 5, 2023 present

Current members

The current board members as of July 31, 2025:

Position Name Party Took office Term expires
Chair Steve Owens Democratic February 3, 2022 (as member)
January 5, 2023 (as chair)		 February 3, 2027
Member Sylvia E. Johnson Democratic February 3, 2022 February 3, 2027
Member Vacant N/a —
Member Vacant N/a —
Member Vacant N/a —

Investigations

The CSB's animated explanation of the Deepwater Horizon explosion

Since its establishment in 1998, the CSB has investigated many major industrial chemical accidents in the United States. The agency is known for its detailed technical analyses of incidents and for its transparent communication practices. These often include in-depth reconstructions of events, root cause analyses, and safety recommendations. Unusually for a government agency, the CSB frequently produces video reports featuring narrated explanations and high-quality computer animations. Their videos were narrated by Sheldon Smith, who retired in 2026 and was replaced by Sam Witwer.

The agency publishes its videos on a public YouTube channel, which as of December 2025 has over 400,000 subscribers. The CSB's videos have been lauded for their quality, with experts encouraging their use in teaching process safety fundamentals.

USCSB's notable investigations include:

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Statement Audit" (PDF). United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. January 8, 2026. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Media Resources". U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Mission - About the CSB". www.csb.gov.
  4. 1 2 "History - About the CSB". www.csb.gov.
  5. ↑ U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (n.d.). "Agency Roles and Responsibilities" (PDF). U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. p. 1. Retrieved March 3, 2022. The CSB is a unique agency, modeled on the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The CSB investigations identify the root causes of chemical incidents and share these findings broadly across industries to prevent future incidents.
  6. ↑ "Oversight Committee Members Call on Chemical Safety Board Chairman to Resign". United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. March 4, 2015. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017.
  7. ↑ Trager, Rebecca (March 10, 2015). "US chemical safety board in turmoil". Chemistry World.
  8. ↑ Gunther, Matthew (March 31, 2015). "US Chemical Safety Board chairman resigns". Chemistry World.
  9. ↑ "PN278 - Nomination of Vanessa Lorraine Allen Sutherland for Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 114th Congress (2015-2016)". www.congress.gov. August 5, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Chemical Safety Board Chair Vanessa Sutherland announces resignation". Safety+Health. National Safety Council. May 23, 2018. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  11. ↑ Jonathan Katz (June 11, 2025). "Chemical Industry Pushes Back on Trump Plan to Axe Safety Watchdog". Chemical Processing. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  12. ↑ Trager, Rebecca (February 4, 2026). "Congress rescues Chemical Safety Board that was earmarked for closure by Trump administration".
  13. ↑ USCSB (September 30, 2026). Alarming Mistakes, Deadly Decisions: Fatal Fire at BP-Husky. Retrieved October 6, 2026 – via YouTube.
  14. ↑ 42 U.S.C. § 7412#r_6
  15. ↑ "Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board". CSB. Archived from the original on February 24, 1999.
  16. ↑ "PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES PAUL HILL AS CHAIR AND MEMBER OF THE CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD". The Clinton White House. August 5, 1999 – via NARA.
  17. ↑ "Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions on Regulatory and Other Collegial Boards and Commissions, 106th Congress" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. March 21, 2001. p. 11.
  18. ↑ "Paul Hill Resigns from Chemical Safety Board". EHS Today. October 18, 2000.
  19. ↑ "Dr. Paul L. Hill, Jr. Resigns as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Intends to Remain as Board Member". CSB. January 13, 2000. Archived from the original on May 25, 2000.
  20. ↑ "Paul L. Hill, Jr., PH.D. Member, U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board". CSB. Archived from the original on January 21, 2000.
  21. ↑ Johnson, Jeff (August 13, 2007). "Chemical Safety Board Chief Retires". Chemical & Engineering News. 85 (33).
  22. ↑ "Carolyn Merritt, Chairman / CEO". CSB. Archived from the original on March 4, 2003.
  23. ↑ "CSB Chairman and Board Members". CSB. Archived from the original on February 1, 2003. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  24. ↑ "The Honorable John S. Bresland". CSB. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008.
  25. ↑ "CSB Board Members". CSB. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  26. ↑ "John S. Bresland" (PDF). CSB.
  27. ↑ Johnson, Jeff (April 7, 2008). "New Chief At CSB". Chemical & Engineering News. 86 (14).
  28. ↑ "CSB Board Member John Bresland to Retire on August 31". CSB. August 2, 2012.
  29. ↑ "Dr. Rafael Moure-Eraso Confirmed as New Chairman and Mark Griffon as Board Member". CSB. June 25, 2010.
  30. ↑ "Rafael Moure-Eraso" (PDF). CSB.
  31. ↑ "Head of U.S. Chemical Safety Board resigns: White House official". Reuters. March 26, 2015.
  32. ↑ "The Honorable Rafael Moure-Eraso". CSB. Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  33. ↑ "Chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland". CSB. Archived from the original on August 29, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Statement from Presidentially Appointed and Senate Confirmed Chemical Safety Board Chairperson Vanessa Sutherland". CSB. August 24, 2015.
  35. ↑ Johnson, Jeff (May 22, 2018). "Chemical Safety Board chair to resign". Chemical & Engineering News.
  36. ↑ "Chairman and CEO Katherine A. Lemos, Ph.D." CSB. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Senate Confirms Dr. Katherine Lemos to Chair of the Chemical Safety Board". CSB. March 24, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Report of Investigation: Katherine A. Lemos, Former Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board" (PDF). EPA Office of the Inspector General. June 28, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Chairperson Steve Owens". CSB. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Board Members". CSB.gov. U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  41. ↑ "Chairperson Steve Owens". CSB.gov. U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Board Member Sylvia E. Johnson, Ph.D." CSB.gov. U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  43. ↑ "USCSB". YouTube. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  44. ↑ Sanders, Roy E. (2015). Chemical Process Safety: Learning from Case Histories (4th ed.). Kidlington, England and Waltham, Mass.: Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 420–421. ISBN 978-0-12-801425-7.
  45. ↑ "Chevron Richmond Refinery Fire". www.csb.gov.
  46. ↑ "West Fertilizer Explosion and Fire". www.csb.gov.
  47. ↑ "FCC Unit Explosion and Asphalt Fire at Husky Superior Refinery - No. 2018-02-I-WI" (PDF). U.S. Chemical Safety Board: 195. December 23, 2022.