CSB investigation - Page 1

U.S. Chemical Safety Board Opens Investigation into Fatal Chemical Incident at West Virginia Facility

April 27, 2026

The agency is opening an investigation into the fatal chemical release on April 22 at the Catalyst Refiners, Inc. facility in Nitro, West Virginia.

U.S. Chemical Safety Board Opens Investigation into Fatal Explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in Tennessee

October 29, 2025

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that it is deploying a team to investigate the fatal explosion that occurred on October 10, 2025, at the Accurate Energetic Systems, LLC (AES) facility in Humphreys County, Tennessee.

La. refinery fire sends six workers to hospital

November 28, 2016

Six workers were injured – four critically – by a fire last week at the ExxonMobil Refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Chemical accident prevention tops list of long-term CSB goals

October 21, 2016

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released its 2017–2021 Strategic Plan, which includes an updated mission and vision statement that will guide the activities and objectives of the CSB.

Here's why drinking water for thousands was contiminated

CSB: Communication, maintenance shortcomings behind 2014 Freedom Industries chemical spill

September 28, 2016

The Chemical Safety Board’s (CSB) final report into the massive release of chemicals into this valley’s primary source of drinking water in 2014 concludes Freedom Industries failed to inspect or repair corroding tanks, and that as hazardous chemicals flowed into the Elk River, the water company and local authorities were unable to effectively communicate the looming risks to hundreds of thousands of affected residents, who were left without clean water for drinking, cooking and bathing.

CSB wraps up investigation into 2009 blast at petroleum facility in Puerto Rico

Report finds inadequate management of gasoline storage tank overfill hazard

October 22, 2015

The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has voted on the final investigation report into the 2009 massive explosion at the Caribbean Petroleum, or CAPECO, terminal facility near San Juan, Puerto Rico; the report includes recommendations for addressing regulatory gaps in safety oversight of petroleum storage facilities by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

12 accidents = 16 CSB recommendations

April 21, 2015

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has voted to update the status of sixteen recommendations resulting from twelve accident investigations including key safety improvements resulting from the 2006 CAI/Arnel fire and explosion in Danvers, MA and the 2005 BP Texas City refinery fire and explosion.

A “Shock to the System”

New CSB video shows dangers of hydraulic shock in ammonia refrigeration systems

March 30, 2015

The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released a safety video detailing key lessons from the release of 32,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia that occurred at Millard Refrigerated Services Inc. on August 23, 2010. The accident resulted in over 150 exposures to offsite workers, thirty of which were hospitalized – four in an intensive care unit.

'Explosive decompression' likely cause of 2010 Pa. zinc explosion

Two operators were killed, a third injured

March 13, 2015

The July 2010 explosion and fire at the former Horsehead zinc refinery in Monaca, Pennsylvania, likely resulted from a buildup of superheated liquid zinc inside a ceramic zinc distillation column, which then “explosively decompressed” and ignited, according to a technical analysis released by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB).