Statement from CSB Chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland on Arkema, Inc Incident

“The Chemical Safety Board is an independent, non-regulatory Federal agency which investigates the root causes of major chemical incidents. Our mission is to drive chemical safety change through independent investigations to protect people and the environment.

All of us at the CSB have been watching the events in the Gulf Coast region over the last several days and join in our prayerful hopes for the recovery and restoration of the region.

We have two employees of the CSB who are based in the Houston area, and we are grateful that they and their families are safe.

This afternoon, the CSB initiated an investigation of the of the Arkema, Inc explosions which occurred early this morning in Crosby, Texas.

While we are initiating an investigation today, our investigators are not going to physically deploy to Crosby until the emergency response activities have been completed and the facility is deemed safe for entry.

Our team’s initial activities will include significant document requests to Arkema, Inc to gain an understanding of the following areas:

• The chemical process used at the Crosby site
• Specific chemicals stored, used and produced onsite; and
• Implications for emergency preparedness and response efforts.

The full scope of our investigation will be determined as more information becomes available from the company.

We will continue to provide updates to the media when they are available.”