House panel seeks answers on CSB management issues

A bipartisan group on the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter on Friday to the members of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) about the board’s governance and management decisions after President Obama asked for and received the CSB chairman’s resignation.

“Recent events and investigations have called into question management and governance decisions by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB),” the letter said. “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.”

“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,” the letter said. “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 letter said.