Trump Administration Plans to Gut Funding for Independent Investigation Board Just Days After Deadly Explosion at US Steel Plant

CLAIRTON, PA - The Sierra Club is demanding continued federal funding for an independent investigation board looking into the cause of the deadly August 11 explosion at a U.S. Steel facility in Pennsylvania. It was reported that the Trump administration plans to gut fundingfor the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board as part of a budget supplement released earlier this year.

The explosion at Clairton Coke Works, which killed two people and injured 10 others, was the second major explosion this year at the facility, which has a long history of safety and pollution violations.

"The Trump administration's attempt to gut the independent investigation board looking into the cause of a deadly explosion at a U.S. Steel facility is nothing short of betrayal. This decision not only harms the workers and their families dealing with the aftermath of this most recent tragedy, but also communities across the U.S. that live in the shadow of these dirty and dangerous industrial facilities. The victims of this incident and industrial host communities across the country deserve clear answers about why this tragedy happened and what will be done to prevent disasters like this from ever happening again," said CeCe Grant, Industrial Transformation Campaign Director at the Sierra Club.

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.