Abstract
A major dispute between the chairman and members of the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSHIB) has erupted over who has authority to make key policy decisions, C&EN has learned. The disagreement comes at a difficult time for the five-member board, which is just beginning its second full year of operation. Although created in 1990, CSHIB was not funded until late 1997. The board has never operated with its full component of four members and a chairman. Its staffing and funding have never been equal to its charge to investigate chemically related industry accidents. And it has faced criticism from some in Congress and industry for extending its reach beyond its resources. The internal dispute has been brewing for months, but board members went public after learning that Chairman Paul Hill had submitted to Congress a plan to double the board's budget to $16 million, open three field offices, and look into creating an ...
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