House Dem: Chemical agency ‘off the rails’

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee declared Wednesday that the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has “gone off the rails,” citing a number of management issues.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) came to his conclusion at a hearing after listing off “serious management issues,” widespread employee dissatisfaction and allegations that the board’s chairman sought to silence employees and consolidate the body’s power for himself.

{mosads}“These allegations are appalling, and they indicate that the CSB has gone off the rails,” Cummings said.

Cummings was not alone in his assessment. Members of the Oversight panel from both parties agreed that the CSB faces severe management problems and largely blamed Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso. 

“The Chemical Safety Board, with its currently leadership, cannot effectively carry out its important mission,” committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said at the hearing.

Chaffetz and Cummings were both particular disturbed by allegations that Moure-Eraso and other senior leaders sought to retaliate against employees, including demoting a contracting officer who worked with an outside firm to conduct a management and employee satisfaction evaluation.

“I’m here to tell you: We put up with a lot of things,” Chaffetz told the CSB’s members at the hearing.

“We are not putting up with employee retaliation. It’s a very serious issue, and I know that on both sides of the aisle, we do not take this lightly,” he said.

“I fully agree with you that retaliation is just something that we will not stand for on both sides of the aisle,” Cummings said.

Moure-Eraso defended himself. He said he has made numerous improvements since a June hearing by the committee that identified similar problems.

“I was humbled by the messages I heard loud and clear. I took them to heart,” he said. “I have worked together with other board members and the staff to address the issues you raised.”

Specifically, Moure-Eraso said the CSB has adopted many recommendations made by then-Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) to improve the agency and is working to improve employee morale.

Moure-Eraso was also accused in a January report from the agency’s inspector general of using external, private email systems to avoid transparency.