Letter to the editor: Elimination of safety board jeopardizes communities

The recent explosion at Clairton Coke Works killed two workers and injured 10 others. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is now investigating this tragedy. The CSB is the only independent federal agency devoted solely to investigating chemical accidents and recommending steps to prevent future disasters.

Yet the administration’s proposed 2026 federal budget allocates zero funding for the CSB, effectively shutting it down before the Clairton investigation can even be completed. This is unacceptable.

I urge readers to take action. Call or write your members of Congress and tell them to preserve funding for the CSB. Sign the national petition at change.org. Share the petition with friends, neighbors and local organizations. Together, we can show that Western Pennsylvanians — and Americans everywhere — demand independent oversight to protect workers and communities from future industrial disasters.

Our voices matter. Let’s not allow this agency to be silenced.

Gail Neustadt

Sewickley