White House proposes shutting down chemical safety agency

An independent agency that investigates chemical disasters - including fatal fires and explosions at chemical plants and oil refineries nationwide - would shutter by October 2026 under little-noticed language in White House budget documents released Friday.

The proposal to eliminate the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is almost certain to face pushback from lawmakers in both parties. President Donald Trump repeatedly called for zeroing out the agency’s funding during his first term, only for Congress to maintain or increase its budget.

This time, however, Trump is trying to seize greater control of independent agencies, testing the limits of presidential power. The Supreme Court last month refused to immediately reinstate a pair of independent regulators fired by the Trump administration, saying the president may have the authority to oust them.

The White House Office of Management and Budget wrote in the new documents that closing the Chemical Safety Board would be “part of the Administration’s plans to move the Nation towards fiscal responsibility and to redefine the proper role of the Federal Government.” It added that funding for the board should be “permanently canceled not later than September 30, 2026.”

Congress established the CSB through amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990. Since becoming operational in 1998, the board has played a key role in probing the root causes of major chemical accidents. It has also issued safety recommendations that have informed regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Last year, the CSB operated with a relatively small budget of around $14 million. Yet in its budget request to the White House for fiscal 2026, the board asked for zero dollars, writing that its own work “duplicates substantial capabilities” of the EPA and OSHA.

“CSB generates unprompted studies of the chemical industry and recommends policies that they have no authority to create or enforce,” the board added. “This function should reside within agencies that have authorities to issue regulations in accordance with applicable legal standards.”

Jordan Barab, the former deputy assistant secretary of labor at OSHA under President Barack Obama, said this language was highly unusual.

“The so-called budget request basically said, ‘We don’t deserve to live; please kill us,’” he said. “That indicates to me that the request did not come from the CSB leadership itself, but was rather imposed on the CSB by the White House. … So much for being an ‘independent’ agency.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley (Oregon), the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee on chemical safety, said eliminating the board would harm the health of communities near industrial facilities.

“If Trump gets his way, this will mean more chemical disasters choking our communities with toxic fumes, upending lives, and threatening the health and property of those living and working close by,” Merkley said in an emailed statement. “I will do everything I can to prevent this gutting of funds and will continue to push for stronger laws to prevent chemical disasters and keep our communities and workers safe.”

OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) declined to comment.

Last week, the CSB released a final report on three “catastrophic” incidents at a Honeywell chemical facility in Geismar, Louisiana, involving hydrogen fluoride - a highly poisonous, colorless compound. The report found that in October 2021, corrosion caused a gasket to fail, spraying hydrogen fluoride onto a worker’s face, ear and neck. The worker was taken to a hospital but died later that day.

“As noted by the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, we have made significant upgrades to safety procedures and precautions at the Geismar facility, and the CSB had no additional recommended improvements to our processes,” Honeywell spokeswoman Stacey Jones said in an emailed statement. “Our focus remains on protecting the safety and well-being of the Geismar workforce as well as our neighbors in the surrounding community.”

Scott Jensen, a spokesman for the American Chemistry Council, the main trade group representing the U.S. chemicals industry, said in an email that Trump’s proposal to shutter the CSB represents “one step in the budget process, and we appreciate his efforts to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used wisely.”

“We value the work of the CSB and want to see it continue, and we will engage with the White House and Congress, so they understand we support the CSB as the budget works its way through the approval process,” Jensen added.

A spokeswoman for the Chlorine Institute, which represents companies that produce and distribute chlorine, said the group is “deeply concerned about the proposed elimination” of the board.

“The CSB fills a vital role in the chemical industry and we strongly encourage the full funding of the CSB or a comparable alternative,” spokeswoman Robyn Brooks said in an email.

The CSB is supposed to have five members who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. At the moment, however, the board has three members who were nominated by President Joe Biden - Chairperson Steve Owens and members Sylvia E. Johnson and Catherine Sandoval. It has had two open seats since February 2023, when Johnson was sworn in.

Despite these vacancies, Johnson voiced optimism about the CSB’s future during a Jan. 23 public business meeting.

“The CSB’s work remains critical, and I’m energized by the possibilities ahead,” she said. “Progress isn’t accidental; it’s the result of diligent effort, collaboration and a steadfast commitment to doing better. Together, we’re creating a safer, more secure future for workers, communities and the environment.”