STATEMENT OF SENATOR FRANK R. LAUTENBERG
NOMINATION HEARING
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1999

Mr. Chairman, I welcome our nominees today. They each bring impressive credentials to the important jobs for which they've been nominated, and I look forward to their confirmation.

I'd like to say a word about Dr. Hill, and his work as chairman of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. The Board is of special importance to me, because the safe operation of the chemical industry is critical to my home state New Jersey. The Board was authorized by the Clean Air Act in 1990, but not appropriated funds until fiscal year 1998. Two days after the Board was able to open its doors in January 1998, an explosion at a factory in Nevada killed four men, and the Board was off on its first investigation.

The recommendations that resulted from that investigation have been adopted by the State of Nevada in the form of state law. The report on that investigation, and the two others completed, have been used by various organizations for training purposes, and carefully studied by industry, government, labor, and community groups alike. I know the reports on the other eight investigations in progress will be as solid and contribute as much to the safe manufacture and use of chemicals. This is exactly the vision we had for the Board when we created it.

The concern I do have, Mr. Chairman, is that we are not allowing the Board to grow to the size that it needs to be to adequately carry out its mission. This year, in fact, the Board had to stop beginning new investigations mid-year. The underfunding of the Board may be an unavoidable consequence of starting an agency from scratch, but it can not last much longer. Too much is riding on the work of this agency.

I look forward to hearing the testimony of these witnesses. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.