CSB adds two members after Senate vote

Washington – The Senate has confirmed two new members to the Chemical Safety Board.

Richard J. Engler and Manuel H. Ehrlich Jr. each were confirmed for five-year terms at the agency, whose board has been shorthanded for years. The Dec. 16 confirmation by the Senate ended a long wait for Engler, who initially was nominated in December 2012, and Ehrlich, who was nominated in January 2014.

"I look forward to collaborating with Mr. Engler and Mr. Ehrlich,” CSB Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said in a statement provided to Safety+Health. “Their experience and expertise will be a valuable asset to the work of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board."

Engler is the founder and director of the New Jersey Work Environment Council. He served from 1986 to 1996 as legislative director and vice president for the New Jersey Industrial Union Council, AFL-CIO.

Ehrlich is a health, safety and environmental consultant with more than 50 years of experience in the chemical industry. At an April 8 hearing convened by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, he testified that he spent much of his career with BASF Corp., where he worked in plant management before advancing to lead emergency response efforts across North America.