NYC Law Department letter regarding EPA draft report excerpts, July

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

..· L (.,V\ '- ~· A-b..iv\ EPA ('-'Mt\'1\.~~-t'\.n Concerns About EPA Commitments

Almost two weeks ago EPA had committed to the following:

• Developing a sampling plan that includes what will be monitored and the rationale as well as where monitoring will be conducted.

• Serving as data managers that will include data collection, entry, analysis, interpretation (including mapping) and dissemination

• Performing sampling.

While sampling has been done in certain locations, the following remains outstanding:

• The last draft of a sampling plan was received on 9/19/01. This draft did not include NYCDOH and NYSDOH comments. Since then, the need for more sampling locations in the community has been discussed. We have not seen any response to these comments or requests.

• While EPA has made some progress toward overseeing all data management activities through a data management group that has been identified and has promised that sometimes this week they will be ready to oversee this process we are concerned that given that it has not happened yet, that there will be an additional delay. NYC DOH does not have the capacity for complete and continued analyses since it needs to resume its normal functions.

• DOH has participated in many discussions with EPA re: which EPA office will have responsibility for the sampling plan .and for reporting of sampling results. From the NYCDOH point of view, we would request that a decision be made on which office this will be and that this office be instructed to respond to local needs for sampling.

It is requested that these issues be addressed at a higher level at EPA.

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