Trump Threatens Key OSHA Ally With Plan for Chemical Safety Cuts

The Trump administration’s proposal to decommission the agency charged with investigating chemical accidents will hurt employers’ safety compliance efforts in handling highly hazardous materials, safety professionals say.

Cutting the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has been a goal for President Donald Trump since his first term. The board studies chemical accidents and makes recommendations publicly that are used by federal agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, companies, trade associations, and labor unions to prevent similar mishaps.

The potential loss of this research is sparking questions over how the private sector will fill this gap. The American Chemistry Council, whose membership includes businesses like 3M Company and ExxonMobil, is pushing back on the cuts.

Companies of all sizes rely heavily on CSB’s recommendations to avoid accidents, said Courtney M. Malveaux, a partner at McGuireWoods who counsels companies in safety and health compliance.

“They’re not looking at OSHA to replace this function, and I don’t think OSHA can,” said Malveaux. “This is a level of expertise that is not replicated elsewhere.”

The independent, non-regulatory agency duplicates the Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA, the White House’s 2026 budget request argued. About $844,000 in emergency funds would be used to cover the costs of closing down the agency by September 2026, according to that request.

A spokesperson for the CSB didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Relying solely on regulatory bodies to address workplace hazards isn’t possible, said Steve Sallman, director of health, safety, and environment for the United Steelworkers.

“If we’re going to have to rely upon OSHA, MSHA, or EPA, then we’re going to continue to learn fatalities by fatalities and that’s not the way we should learn in health and safety,” said Sallman, referring to the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Safety Research Under Siege

The Trump administration has been targeting workplace safety research agencies like the CSB and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health for cuts as part of a larger effort to downsize the government.

Whereas the White House sees duplication, safety professionals see expertise aiding employers with eliminating workplace hazards as the most effective way to address accidents.

NIOSH, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, notified workers April 1 that nearly 900 staffers would be let go as part of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plans to cut 10,000 employees across his agency. A federal California judge issued a preliminary injunction in May to extend a freeze on those layoffs while a case against those firings proceeds.

The chemical safety board, like NIOSH, doesn’t issue safety citations. Instead, it’s responsible for investigating the root causes of major chemical incidents with the goal of reducing workplace dangers.

“Agencies like CSB and NIOSH are the brains, OSHA is more the brawn,” said Malveaux. “The level of expertise of a CSB is not replicated elsewhere as a resource.”

For example, the board investigated a 2022 fatal fire at a former BP-Husky Energy plant in Ohio and recommended that fuel refineries have safety policies to ensure chemical overflows are carefully managed. OSHA separately proposed more than $156,000 in penalties against BP Products North America Inc., finding the company failed to meet process safety management procedures.

The board’s recommendations play an important role in companies complying with OSHA’s PSM standard, which requires a comprehensive management program for highly hazardous chemicals.

Some requirements include establishing a written procedure for maintenance activities and training employees on emergency operations.

“Knowledge provided by CSB and shared across the industry plays into what compliance procedures are put in place by an employer,” Malveaux said.

Root Cause Investigations

Even if Congress keeps funding it, the Trump administration can stall the chemical safety board’s operations. Lawmakers ignored the Trump administration’s first calls to phase out the CSB by continuing to fund the agency.

It then languished under Trump’s first term with only one new board member appointed and a growing backlog dating as far back as 2016. Under the Biden administration, the board—which is responsible for budgeting decisions, agency oversight, and approval of investigation reports—announced it completely eliminated its long-standing backlog of investigations in December 2023.

The agency’s leadership panel is comprised of five members, each appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, to serve fixed terms of five years. The Clean Air Act requires those board members to have knowledge in the fields of accident reconstruction and safety engineering—among other things.

The American Chemistry Council, a trade association of chemical companies, says it’s lobbying the White House and Congress to ensure CSB continues.

“The President’s proposal is one step in the budget process, and we appreciate his efforts to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used wisely,” an ACC spokesperson said in a statement. “The reports and recommendations that the CSB produces have served as a valuable resource for industry stakeholders.”

Board Status Quo?

Biden nominated the three current board members—Chairperson Steve Owens, Sylvia Johnson, and Catherine Sandoval—while Trump’s appointee and former chairperson, Katherine Lemos, resigned in 2022.

The Board hasn’t had a full five members since 2011.

A team of chemical and mechanical engineers, as well as industrial safety experts, make up the agency’s investigation arm to identify deficiencies in safety management systems or any factor that would’ve prevented an accident.

During investigations, which typically take between six months and a year to complete, CSB personnel will confer with stakeholders and workers in order to publish its recommendations.

Sallman said the agency has had long-standing bipartisan support up until the first Trump Administration.

“They have put out tremendous work—that shares the lessons learned to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future,” Sallman said. “This is too important of an agency with a very small budget. We should not interrupt what they’re doing.”