Washington, DC, March 13, 2009- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today announced that it will be holding a public meeting on April 23, 2009, in Institute, West Virginia, to present preliminary findings from its investigation of the August 28, 2008, chemical processing tank explosion at Bayer CropScience which fatally injured two workers.
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the West Virginia State University Wilson Building, Multipurpose Room, 103 University Union, Institute, WV, 25112. The meeting is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required, but to assure adequate seating attendees are encouraged to pre-register by emailing their names and affiliations to [email protected] by April 10.
At the meeting the CSB investigative team will present its preliminary findings on the circumstances of the accident to the four CSB board members and the public. The Board will ask questions of the team in front of the audience and will then invite comments from members of the public. The meeting will be videotaped and an official transcript will be included in the investigative file.
"This was a serious accident which claimed the lives of two workers and had a significant impact on the surrounding community," said CSB Chairman John Bresland. "We hope to inform the public of our preliminary findings as well as gain additional information and insight into the events surrounding this incident. CSB public meetings aim to encourage active involvement and participation from members of the community, public officials and industry."
Following the presentation of the CSB's preliminary findings, a panel of outside witnesses will be invited to speak on a number of issues related to the accident.
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.
The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, www.csb.gov
For more information, contact Director of Public Affairs Dr. Daniel Horowitz, (202) 261-7613, cell (202) 441-6074, or Public Affairs Specialist Hillary Cohen, (202) 261-3601, cell (202) 446-8094.