CSB looks to the future after clearing backlog of open investigations

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board is “very determined” to avoid an investigation backlog similar to the one it recently cleared, board Chair Steve Owens said during the agency’s first public business meeting of 2024.

Owens added that clearing the long-standing backlog of open investigations and incident reports in December didn’t exhaust the agency’s task list.

Board Member Sylvia Johnson pointed to CSB’s addition of 10 staff members, including four chemical incident investigators.

“It’s an exciting time to be at the CSB,” Johnson said. “As we grow and expand, we’re now in position to meet and execute the mission of this great agency.”

Two seats remain open on the five-member board. Owens didn’t address possible additions to the board but confirmed that the agency aims to keep growing its investigative staff.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Michael Boykin of the Louisiana Chemical Association told the board that investigators’ reports and recommendations “do not go unnoticed,” and that he references them during his meetings with safety professionals and process engineers.

Owens responded: “We’re glad to hear that our recommendations are taken seriously, and that people try to implement them even if they’re not necessarily directed specifically to them.”

Owens also said the board is in the processes of evaluating and following up on a Dec. 6 report from the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General that identified four top management challenges facing CSB in FY 2024:

• Operating effectively without a full board
• Minimizing mission-critical staff vacancies and attrition rates
• Improving cybersecurity
• Promoting ethical conduct

The next public meeting is scheduled for April 27.