Law Department notice on WTC document preservation, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

5. Provide telecommunications redundancy nationwide that will provide for ongoing communication (voice and data) to EPA’s workforce during a national emergency, as well as emergency notification systems. 6. Provide central communication principles using the web to ensure EPA employees are given the latest, most recent information. 7. Determine whether a Headquarters-sponsored stress management system should be more formally deployed in future national emergencies. 8. Broaden health monitoring for OSCs and other Agency response personnel to make it consistent nationwide. 9. Systematically follow through on facility security improvements requiring additional resources.

7. Identify and Address National Environmental Vulnerabilities

1. Complete EPA efforts to identify national environmental vulnerabilities posed by public and private utilities/facilities. 2. Coordinate with State, local, and other environmental regulators to plan for reducing environmental vulnerabilities. 3. Increase technical support by EPA and States to identify and assist in corrective actions to reduce vulnerabilities 4. Increase inspections to identify and oversee corrective actions to reduce environmental vulnerabilities caused by permit or regulation violations. 5. Examine EPA’s authorities and regulations to identify any changes needed to effectively address vulnerabilities.

Region 2 Lessons Learned Recommendations

Overarching Recommendations

1. EPA Region 2 should undertake an effort to connect with senior ofRcials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Health and Human Services on a routine basis to ensure EPA mission is clearly understood.

2, Region 2 needs to develop a comprehensive approach to emergency management and response, perhaps based upon the NFPA 1600 Standard, that includes all divisions in the region. This would:

Spread responsibility across the organization so that one division is not the sole source of information, staffing responsibilities, decision making, and documentation. Provide for a consistent, expandable and contractible structure and process for the Region that is understood across organizational boundaries. Routinize emergency/disaster response.

3. Region 2 should identify a team of dedicated people who will respond in the event of a new crisis. This would limit the stress on personnel who might otherwise be pulled from the current response to another, as well as allowing designated staff to prepare, to the extent possible, for the possibility of mobilization. This could be accomplished by assigning an individual to a particular task until they are directly and explicitly relieved. In addition, a feedback mechanism could be established to encourage and solicit concerns during and after a response.

4. The Region’s Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) needs to be reviewed and updated.

5. Senior leadership of Region 2 and Regional staff not currently assigned to emergency response who might respond in a disaster, should participate in introductory training and education on basic disaster management and response. This would include intergovernmental relationships that are inherently different than typical Superfund emergency response and removal.

107 Report No. 2003-P-00012

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