The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board - commonly referred to as the Chemical Safety Board - is a relatively new agency, authorized by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 but not operational until 1998.

Modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board, the Chemical Safety Board investigates accidents and makes recommendations to regulatory agencies but doesn't have any regulatory authority itself. Sometimes, as with its far-reaching investigation of reactive chemical hazards the board finds fault with regulators (see http://www.csb.gov/index.cfm?folder=completed_investigations&page=info&INV_ID=21). Chemical safety is a perennial if intermittent issue of concern for environmental journalists and other reporters. The board's website can be a useful tool, either on a deadline or in researching an in-depth project.

Visitors to the site can learn about the agency itself including a page of contact information for journalists.

There's also a helpful Media Resources page including tips on covering chemical accidents that prompt a board response and an outline of the information reporters can expect from board investigators.

Beyond such nuts and bolts, there are other pages with voluminous background information on chemical safety. Separate sections, for instance, include links to CSB reports on current and completed investigations.

Besides the requisite page for agency news releases, there is also a page headlined Incident News Reports that provides links to both breaking news articles about chemical accidents from the preceding 24 hours or so and to other stories that date back over the previous couple of months.