Safety Board Hit In Oversight Report

The Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is criticized for management and procedure failures in a report released last week by the EPA Office of Inspector General. EPA OIG, which now has legal authority to investigate CSB, is the latest of three federal OIGs—and the Government Accountability Office—that have investigated CSB since 2000. The various investigations made 34 recommendations for management changes; the EPA OIG report notes that CSB actions were not effective in responding to 13 of the recommendations and that for seven recommendations the response actions are not yet completed. The report says, however, that CSB announced in September 2010 an internal reorganization that included the appointment of a managing director to oversee all aspects of CSB operations. EPA notes the change “should provide for more timely and effective resolution of audit recommendations.” In a written response, CSB acknowledges and does not challenge the latest recommendations and cites the importance of the reorganization and the new managing director to correcting deficiencies.