WASHINGTON, DC - Following President Obama’s requested resignation of the Chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), bipartisan leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today wrote to all remaining members of the board concerning the board’s management and governance decisions.
The leaders wrote, “Recent events and investigations have called into question management and governance decisions by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). The Board will soon have new leadership, but its challenges may go beyond particular personnel. As the leaders of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over the CSB, we are seeking information necessary to ensure that the board will achieve its important mission going forward."
The leaders continued, “Investigations by the Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency into records management, contracting, and personnel actions, and questions of management and leadership highlighted by House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearings, have indicated a fundamental breakdown in management and governance at CSB. In fact, evidence of misconduct recently prompted the bipartisan leadership of that committee to request that President Obama use his statutory authority to immediately remove current leadership. The President requested the resignation of the Chairman, and received it yesterday evening. While this resignation is a significant development, we seek to ensure new board leadership will appropriately address remaining challenges to the proper functioning of this agency. …
“We request your assistance to help the committee understand recent board actions and related decisions to assess how they comport with CSB statutory authorities, how they may affect future CSB mission performance, and what should be done to ensure the appropriate governance of the agency."
The committee leaders are requesting responses to a series of questions by April 10, 2015.
The letter was signed by full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO).
