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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 10281997 - U1 i U.1 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on October 28, 1997 by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Rogers, Uilkema, Gerber, Canciamilla and DeSaulnier NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None SUBJECT: Letter to President Clinton Regarding Funding For The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSHIB) Supervisor Gerber requested that the issue of funding for the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSHIB) be introduced as an Urgency Item. The Board members unanimously agreed to consider this matter as an exception to. the Better Government Ordinance. Supervisor Gerber requested that the Board members authorize Chairman DeSaulnier to sign a letter requesting that the President not veto the funding for the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSHIB). The Board members discussed the issues and took the following action: 1. APPROVED and AUTHORIZED the Chair, Board of Supervisors, to send a letter to President Clinton urging the President to give his full support to the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSHIB) by approving the $4 million appropriation for CSHIB in the FY 1998 Appropriations Bill for VA-HUD-Independent Agencies. I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: October 28, 1997 Phil Batchelor, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator &Campler, Deputy Clerk cc: Supervisors County Administrator Health Services Department - Hazardous Materials Commission (via HSD) 'r � • l OCT-26-1997 09:27 SUPERVISOR GERBER 510 620 6627 P.02 RECEIVED OCT 2 e 149 October 28, 1997 ` CLERK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 1 CONTRA CQc�TQ CC). III — . Honorable William Jefferson Clinton President 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20050 Dear Mr. President: On behalf of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, I am writing to urge that you give full support to the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSHIB) and not veto the $4 million appropriation for it in the FY 1998 Appropriations Bill for VA-HUD-Independent Agencies. As I wrote to you in June, Contra Costa is home to a large number of major industrial facilities, and a population approaching one million residents_ Our industries and residents are close to one another. Since 1989, over 40 serious industrial accidents have occurred here. Each one caused, or had the potential to cause, harm to the public's health, property, or the environment_ We need an independent national Board to help identify the causes of such accidents so that they can be prevented. Please support the Board by signing a budget that includes its funding. Sincerely, Mark DeSaulnier Chairman li111DS:hlf cc: Senator Barbara Boxer Senator Diane Feinstein Congressmember Ellen Tauscher Congressmenber George Miller ------------------------------------------------ OCT-27-1997 17 ------------------ SUPERVISOR GERBER ---------------- 510 820 6627 P-03 , SAM WSSO LANE.SURE t10 CONTRA CMA COVM J) COMM,CAuiOANIA OIS204817 WARD OF SUPERVISORS v� (810)846-S7b3 • --"� 010)646.9767(FAX) MARK DESAULNIh-R *VPVWWX.DIS1MOT N June 12, 1997 Also sent to: The Honorable Bill Clinton Senators Boxer Feinstein President of the United States Congresswoman Tauscher 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20050 Dear Mr. President: On behalf of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, I am writing to urge that you give fu'.l support to the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSHIB) and its request for funding. The CSHIB, established nearly seven years ago by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1994, will have a very positive impact be of Neat value to ibe residents and industries in our county. Our Board directed me to write to you after we reviewed a report from our Hazardous Materials Commission, which closely examined this issue. Contra Costa County is home to a large number of mayor industrial facilities -- five oil refineries, six chemical plants, and two power plans -- and numerous smaller facilities. The county's population is approaching I million. Our industries and residents are cIase to one another; moreover, numerous heavily-traveled highways pass along the facilities' fencelines, Sinee 1969, over 40 serious industrial accidents have occurred here. Each one caused or had the potential to cause harm to the public's health, property, and/or the environment. The rate for these serious accidents averages out to an astounding one every two months. In January of this year, an explosion and fire at a local refinery took the life of an employee and injured some 46 others. Other recent incidents have sent residents to physicians and emergency rooms, including students and staff of a special education center. Some residents feel their health has been permanently affected and that real estate values have declined due to repeated incidents. As you can imagine, preventing industrial seddents is a top priority for we and the other members of our Board. The CSHIB will help us reach this goal. Facilities similar to those in our county exist throughout the nation. We need to learn the causes, in depth, of accidents that occur anywhere in the United States. Analyses of accidents here and elsewhere provide information for local industry managers that is itamediately useful to analyze their own facLUt.ies' operation and ensure against similar problems. -------------------------------- -_ - -------------- OCT-27-1997 17:11 ---- SUPERVIS�R GERBER 510 820 6627 P.04 The Honorable Bill Clinton u j June 12, 1997 Page 2 Our Health Services Department has fust completed a fruitful analysis of the root causes of the January refinery fire. It was our first such effort, an unusual undertaking for a local government reflecting the importance we place on industrial safety. Our Board learned about the high level of skill, experience, and focus required to carry out this valuable work. ?he CSHIB would provide that nationwide and disseminate the results of Its analyses. No other federal agency has such a charge as its prime mandate. The CSHIB has the addition and unique benefit that its findings may not be used in litigation, removing a critical barrier to full information sharing by industry. Other agencies do not have such a legislative ,provision. Other CSHIB mandates that promise to improve coordination and reduce overlap among agencies Eire also important to us. As an independent authority on accident prevention, the CSHIB is widely supported here. Again, 1 urge your support for the CS111 Board and the budget request that will make it a working reality. Sincerely, Mark DeSaulnier MD:ksm cc: Board Members County Administrator Health Services Director. ... - .. TOTAL P.04 uLi-cr-sir lb-ter �xn am x7�ts n. r.rw