Administrator Stephen Johnson
Environmental Protection Agency
1101A EPA Headquarters
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20460

RE: Investigate and monitor post-Katrina environmental hazards and inform the public!

Dear Administrator Johnson,

As the floodwaters recede, it is obvious that hurricane Katrina has left a toxic soup in her wake. Volunteers and rescue personnel have a right to know what chemicals and hazardous materials they are being exposed to and how to best protect themselves. When residents begin returning to flood-ravaged areas, they deserve to know what toxics might have been left behind. As EPA supports the cleanup efforts I urge the agency to:

1. Conduct a full and transparent investigation of potential environmental hazards presented by chemical plants and refineries, hazardous waste handlers, landfills, underground storage tanks and other potential sources.

2. Implement a monitoring system that identifies released toxics and other environmental hazards and make this information available to the public in a timely manner.

In an age of instantaneous movement of information, it is unacceptable that the U.S. public should have an incomplete picture of the environmental aftermath of Katrina. The thousands of volunteers, first responders, rescue workers and members of the armed service on the ground in devastated areas need this information to protect themselves from unnecessary exposures. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, EPA prepared to warn the public about asbestos and other dangerous air pollution at the World Trade Center site, but these warnings were suppressed and not released in a timely manner. This pattern of silencing legitimate concerns must not be repeated.

As we survey the events following the storm, our government's early response can only be viewed as woefully inadequate. However, as the region and its citizens move forward, EPA and other agencies have a responsibility to prevent this catastrophe from worsening. Full and timely disclosure of the environmental risks that continue to threaten those in New Orleans is a fundamental part of ensuring that public health is protected. I urge EPA to shoulder its responsibility and share this vital health information with the public, and I will join millions of Americans in closely following EPA's actions in this vital matter.

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