House committee approves bill with Chemical Safety Board funding

Photo: halbergman/gettyimages

Washington — The House Appropriations Committee has approved the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which includes more than $8 million in funding for the Chemical Safety Board.

The Trump administration is seeking to eliminate CSB in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, released May 30. During President Donald Trump’s first term, CSB was on the chopping block each fiscal year, but Congress chose to provide funding to the small federal agency each time.

The bill, approved with a 33-28 vote on July 22, includes around $8.2 million for CSB. As of press time, the Senate’s markup of its Interior and Environment bill was scheduled for July 24.

CSB’s budget for FY 2025 was about $14.4 million.

The agency released a video in June titled Safety Pays Off: The Value of Vigilance, highlighting its accomplishments. That includes more than 1,000 safety recommendations in 27 years. It also features a brief review of CSB’s investigations on serious chemical incidents, including those that resulted in deaths and injuries.

“Strong safety programs are critical for the economic success of our nation’s chemical industry and for the health and safety of the people who work in chemical facilities and those who live near them,” CSB Chair Steve Owens says in the video. “If the CSB’s many safety lessons have prevented at least one catastrophic chemical incident, the money saved by protecting lives, preventing serious injuries and damage to facilities, safeguarding surrounding communities, and avoiding costly litigation and legal settlements far exceeds the CSB’s modest annual budget.”