Trump Administration Plans Defunding Chemical Safety Board, Raising Gulf Coast Risk

The Trump administration has proposed defunding and ultimately shutting down the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), an independent agency responsible for investigating industrial chemical accidents and providing safety recommendations. The administration argues that the CSB duplicates functions of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and seeks to eliminate its $14 million annual budget by 2026. This proposal has alarmed residents, legal advocates, environmentalists, and public health officials, especially those in petrochemical-heavy areas like Texas, who rely on the CSB's independent investigations to hold industry accountable and prevent future disasters. Critics warn that without the CSB, local governments—already overwhelmed—will lack the technical expertise and authority to properly investigate chemical incidents, potentially leaving vulnerable, often low-income communities exposed to unaddressed industrial hazards. The CSB has played a critical role in investigating major industrial disasters such as the 2019 TPC explosion in Port Neches and the Intercontinental Terminals Co. fire in Deer Park, Texas, incidents that caused significant environmental and public health impacts. Opponents of the defunding emphasize the agency’s unique independence and expertise, fearing that eliminating it risks silencing vital investigations and undermining industrial safety nationwide.