Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today called on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to grant the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) immediate access to the power plant explosion site in Middletown, Connecticut, as well as to key evidence and witnesses.  The CSB, which Lautenberg helped create, is charged with investigating industrial accidents at chemical plants and other industrial facilities including oil refineries and power plants.  CSB is also responsible for making recommendations to facility owners, industry officials and government agencies on how to better protect workers and the public.

              "I understand and appreciate that ATF is working hard to uncover any criminal wrongdoing and protect our communities from hazardous explosives.  However, it is critical that the CSB not be impeded from conducting its investigation into the causes of this accident and making safety recommendations to plants, workers, and regulatory agencies.  I ask that you work to immediately allow CSB investigators access to this site," Lautenberg wrote to ATF Deputy Director Kenneth Melson.

               Modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board, Lautenberg helped create and fund the Chemical Safety Board.  The Board's work has led to more plant inspections, better protections for workers and more attention to safety issues.

               On Sunday, February 7, five people were killed when an explosion occurred at a power plant being built in Middletown, Connecticut.