Chemical Safety Board Releases First Volume of Incident Reports on Chemical Accidents
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has released the first volume of its new incident reports, providing public access to summaries of serious chemical accidents and their probable causes.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Jan 31, 2025
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has begun publishing summaries of serious chemical incidents reported under its Accidental Release Reporting Rule (ARRR). The agency released the first volume of these reports, covering 26 incidents across 15 states, resulting in five fatalities, 17 serious injuries and an estimated $700 million in property damage.
“The American people have a right to know about the kinds of dangerous chemical incidents that happen across this country every week,” CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said in a statement. “Since the CSB’s reporting rule went into effect, the agency has received hundreds of reports on incidents involving releases of hazardous chemicals that have put communities, workers, and the environment at serious risk.”
The new reports, available on the CSB’s website, summarize each incident and its probable cause, details that were not previously accessible to the public. The first volume includes accidents in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Since July 2022, the CSB has published basic data on reported incidents, including facility names, locations, dates and whether the event involved fatalities, injuries, or significant property damage. The addition of detailed summaries expands the agency’s transparency efforts. The CSB plans to update the reports regularly, providing ongoing insight into chemical accidents.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.