President Trump’s proposed budget would eliminate funding for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which is currently investigating the Japan Dynamics disaster in Longview.
WASHINGTON — An amendment introduced by U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez would overturn President Donald Trump’s proposal to defund regulatory agencies currently tasked with investigating releases of deadly corrosive chemicals. at longview paper mill.
The congresswoman from Washington’s 3rd District said in a statement Wednesday that the House Appropriations Committee has approved her amendment to add more than $5 million to fully fund the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, an independent federal agency that investigates major incidents involving hazardous chemicals.
National Security Agency announced last week Says it has launched an investigation into a 900,000-gallon storage tank white liquor The rupture occurred at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant in Longview. The spill ultimately killed 11 workers and injured many others. Most of the factory remains closed while site cleanup continues.
White liquor is a caustic chemical used to break down wood chips during the papermaking process and has the same alkalinity as bleach.
Authorities have not yet provided any explanation for the cause of the rupture, and the CSB investigation is one of several ongoing to determine the circumstances of the incident.
“What’s really clear to me from the conversations I’m having is that families and workers deserve answers,” Grusenkamp-Perez said. “They need to know what’s going on here and that they have someone taking care of them in the future so they can go home safely every night. CSB is a big part of that and they need the resources to do their job right.”
Related: Longview factory workers to receive full pay until August after deadly chemical tank ruptures
Gluesenkamp Perez’s office says Trump’s fiscal 2027 budget proposes defunding CSB and This is not the first time. The President’s 2026 budget also calls for the complete defunding of CSB.
The House version of the 2026 budget would have provided $8.2 million in funding for the CSB, but the Senate later increased that amount to US$14 million.
Under the Gluesenkamp Perez amendment, CSB’s budget will remain unchanged at $14 million in the upcoming budget.
Trump’s 2027 budget proposal was released in early April, predating the Longview disaster, but CSB records show three investigations have been completed and two others launched so far this year, not including Nippon Dynawave. All but one of the five incidents resulted in death.
According to CSB’s own briefing 2027 budget requirementsTrump’s proposal to defund the agency is “part of the administration’s plan to streamline government functions.”
