A seven person investigation team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying to the scene of a fatal chemical release at the La Porte DuPont Plant located near Houston, Texas.
According to DuPont officials and media reports, four people were killed when methyl mercaptan, a toxic chemical used as feedstock to make insecticides and fungicide, was released into the air.
The CSB has previously investigated four accidents at DuPont facilities; a 2010 phosgene release at the DuPont Plant in Belle West Virginia resulting in one fatality and that same year a hot work accident at the DuPont facility outside of Buffalo, NY, fatally injured one worker. The CSB’s investigations of those incidents can be found at www.csb.gov.
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.
For more information contact Sandy Gilmour, Public Affairs, cell 202-251-5496 or email [email protected]