News Releases

CSB Issues Final Report on Universal Form Clamp Explosion and Fire in Bellwood, Illinois; Investigation Notes Mixture Overheating, Inadequate Plant Design, Lack of Emergency Action Plan Led to Death and Injuries

Apr 10, 2007

Chicago, Illinois, April 10, 2007 - An explosion and fire took the life of a contract delivery driver and injured two employees at the Universal Form Clamp (UFC) plant in Bellwood, Illinois, on June 14, 2006. The explosion occurred when hazardous vapors, generated by overheating a flammable liquid in an open-top tank, ignited, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) found in a Case Study issued today.

Testifying before House Committee on Education and Labor, Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt Calls for Increasing Oversight of Refining Industry by OSHA

Mar 22, 2007

Washington, DC, March 22, 2007 - Carolyn W. Merritt, Chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), told a congressional committee today there should be increased oversight of the oil refining industry by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in order to prevent accidents such as the one that occurred at the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, in 2005. She spoke before the House Committee on Education and Labor, chaired by U.S. Rep. George Miller of California who convened the hearing "to examine what we can learn from the missteps that preceded this disaster in order to help prevent future ones."

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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Concludes "Organizational and Safety Deficiencies at All Levels of the BP Corporation" Caused March 2005 Texas City Disaster That Killed 15, Injured 180

Mar 20, 2007

UPDATED 9:30 p.m. CDT March 20, 2007, Texas City, Texas - At a public meeting here tonight attended by more than 200 people, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) voted 5-0 to approve its final report on the March 2005 explosion at the BP Texas City Refinery, the worst U.S. industrial accident since 1990. The full text of the report and safety recommendations will be posted on CSB.gov within the next week.

CSB to Conduct Full Investigation of Valero McKee Refinery Fire, Field Team Returns to Washington to Analyze Evidence

Mar 09, 2007

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board today announced it is conducting a full investigation of the propane fire that occurred February 16 at the Valero McKee Refinery here, seriously burning three workers and forcing the shutdown of the facility.

Board to Convene March 20 Public Meeting in Texas City, Texas, to Release and Vote upon Final Report on BP Refinery Disaster

Mar 07, 2007

March 7, 2007 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced today that it will convene a public meeting on the evening of Tuesday, March 20, 2007, at the Nessler Center in Texas City, Texas, to release its final investigation report on the explosion at the nearby BP refinery that took 15 lives and injured 180 on March 23, 2005.

CSB Issues Final Report and Safety Video on Formosa Plastics Explosion in Illinois, Concludes That Company and Previous Owner Did Not Adequately Plan for Consequences of Human Error

Mar 06, 2007

Springfield, Illinois, March 6, 2007 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today issued its final report on the explosion and fire that destroyed the Formosa Plastics plant in Illiopolis, Illinois, on April 23, 2004, concluding that the accident occurred when an operator overrode a critical valve safety interlock on a pressurized vessel making polyvinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride liquid and vapor discharged into the plant and was ignited, resulting in a massive explosion.

CSB Issues Final Report on Chlorine Release at DPC Enterprises in Glendale, Arizona: Report Notes Company's Lack of Engineering Safeguards

Feb 28, 2007

Phoenix, Arizona, February 28, 2007 - In a final report issued today, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) concluded that insufficient safety margins, a lack of engineering safeguards, unclear procedures and training, and an absence of published guidance were among the causes of a release of up to 1,920 pounds of chlorine from the DPC Enterprises facility in Glendale, Arizona, on November 17, 2003.

Statement of CSB Supervisory Investigator Don Holmstrom Updating the Public on the Investigation of the Valero McKee Refinery Fire

Feb 21, 2007

CSB Investigation Team to Begin Field Assessment of Explosion at Valero Refinery near Dumas, Texas

Feb 17, 2007

An investigative team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying to the Valero McKee refinery near Dumas, Texas, north of Amarillo, where an explosion yesterday injured a number of workers and forced the shutdown of the facility.

Statement from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board of Jeffrey Wanko, Lead Investigator for the Ghent Propane Explosion

Feb 15, 2007

The CSB investigation continues into the cause or causes of the tragic propane explosion at the Little General Store in Ghent, West Virginia, on January 30, 2007.

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