Texas Watch—Consumer Protection. Corporate Accountability. Citizen Advocacy.

The author of a recent Houston Chronicle editorial writes that the chair of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (“the understaffed and underfunded independent federal agency charged with investigating plant and refinery mishaps”) has said that the board will not be able to investigate the recent explosions at plants in the Houston area that killed one worker and injured several others, because “his staff was already maxed out.” Moreover, “Even when it sends investigators out to the scenes of accidents, the CSB is limited in what it can do with their findings. It is not empowered to issue citations or levy fines on plant operators and can only make non-binding safety recommendations.”