Lawmakers call for new leadership at CSB

Washington – Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and five other members of the House have sent a letter to the White House calling for Chemical Safety Board Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso to be replaced.

The July 7 letter comes less than three weeks after an Oversight Committee hearing during which Moure-Eraso was questioned on alleged failures of CSB.

In the letter, the congressmen said Moure-Eraso failed to restore confidence in his leadership during the hearing. They also questioned the chairman’s testimony that CSB’s Work Improvement Committee had “been meeting since December,” saying it was their understanding that the committee had disbanded months ago.

“CSB has a vital public safety mission – to investigate industrial chemical accidents, report on the causes of the accidents and make recommendations to prevent future tragedies,” the lawmakers said in the letter. “Chairman Moure-Eraso’s leadership is making it difficult for the agency to fulfill its mission. Immediate change in CSB leadership is necessary to allow this besieged agency to heal and regain focus on its public safety mission.”