Defanging the Chemical Safety Board Puts Texans and Workers at Risk

What’s Happening

Federal officials have proposed eliminating funding for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board in the 2026 budget (which would effectively shutter the agency by the end of 2025), a move widely criticized by public health advocates, refinery-area residents, and safety professionals. The CSB (established in 1998) has investigated dozens of major industrial incidents, including a massive fire at Intercontinental Terminals Co. in Deer Park, revealing safety gaps that regulators like OSHA or the EPA don’t address.

What’s at Stake

The CSB has issued over 1,000 safety recommendations, with nearly 90 percent implemented industry‑wide. Because it doesn’t levy fines, companies often cooperate more readily and adopt changes faster. Along the Third Coast: Houston, Deer Park, Baytown, this board has been a lifeline. Without it, investigations fall to under‑resourced state or local agencies ill-equipped to hold industry accountable.

Why This Is Not Just Politics

Every administration in recent memory, from both parties, has been cozy with oil and gas interests.
But this time, they're going after the only independent government watchdog agency we’ve had! They’re literally pulling the fangs of oversight, at a moment when weather‑driven disasters are more frequent and chemical facilities face escalating risk.

What This Means for Workers & Communities

• Jobsites and fence‑line neighborhoods lose an essential independent investigator tracking root causes and safety breakdowns.

• Firefighters, plant workers, and nearby residents could face elevated risks without follow‑through investigations.

• Communities like Pasadena, Baytown, Deer Park, and all of Southeast Houston, stand to lose transparency and critical safety data.

Our Commitment to You

We already operate with zero federal resources! O.G. Watchdog is an independent local watchdog group funded by worker and community advocates, like you, dear reader. We promise you, we won’t back down. We will:

• Continue to report on petrochemical hazards affecting workers and communities in Greater Houston.

• Demand clarity and action from regulators and elected officials.

• Serve as an unwavering watchdog along the Third Coast, in defense of public safety and workers’ rights.

The administration may be in the pocket of the oil and gas lobby, but the O.G. Watchdog is NOT. We won’t be silenced. We won’t step aside. We’ll keep fighting to expose industry influence and defend our communities.