FY 2026 U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Management Challenges

We identified four top management challenges for the CSB for fiscal year 2026:

1. Operating effectively without a full board
   As of November 2025, the CSB’s governing board was operating at 40 percentcapacity, with only two confirmed members. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990established that the CSB’s board shall consist of five board members, including a chairperson, who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The board is responsible for major budgeting decisions, strategic planning and direction, general oversight of the CSB, and approval of investigation reports and studies. The CSB is challenged in meeting its mission to “drive chemical safety excellence through independent investigations to protect communities, workers, and the environment” while operating without a full board.
2. Improving information security
   EPA OIG Report No. 25-P-0037, Audit of the U.S. Chemical Safety and HazardInvestigation Board’s Compliance with the Federal Information Security ModernizationAct of 2014 for Fiscal Year 2024, dated June 17, 2025, assessed the CSB’s information security program to be at a maturity of Level 2, Defined. This means that policies,procedures, and strategies are formalized and documented but not consistentlyimplemented. Additionally, as of June 2025, the CSB’s chief information officer position is vacant, which could hinder the CSB’s capacity to improve its information security program.
    

Report Materials

• The CSB’s Fiscal Year 2026 Top Management Challenges (pdf) (250.99 KB)