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The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is an independent, scientific investigatory agency, not an enforcement body. Although the CSB was created by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, it did not begin operations until January 1998. The CSB is made up of a five-member board of chemical safety experts who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve five-year terms. In addition, the board employs approximately 40 people.
The CSB investigates industrial chemical accidents to assess root causes and identify factors that could prevent future catastrophes. The agency does not issue fines or citations, but makes recommendations to individual facilities, regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA, consensus standard organizations, industrial organizations, and labor groups. For the most part, the CSB is a non-regulatory entity; although, it does oversee chemical accident reporting requirements at 40 CFR 1604.
The mission of the CSB is to promote the prevention of major chemical accidents at fixed facilities. The board: