EPA Region II letterhead fragment, date unknown

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

r W/ WASHINGTON. D.C. 20460

I I

I I I I I I I I September 5,2003 I I ---- .kOMINWTRATOR I I I

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The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear. Senator Lieberman and Senator Clinton: I

This letter is in response to your August 26,2003 letter to President Bush regarding the actions of the Environmental Protecb’on Agency immediately following the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11,2001.

As will be described in greater detail later in this letter, the actions taken by EPA personnel were nothing less than heroic. EPA staff reacted quickly, immediately constructing a system of air quality monitors to collect data needed to assess risks to the public. Working closely with FEMA, OSHA, the State of New York, the City of New York and others. EPA was able to analyze the data and make determinations with cooperation and assistance of the best professionals available. t This critically Important environmental data, which took much effort to collect and 1 analyze under very difficult conditions, was then disseminated to the public as quickly as possible. EPA did not, nor was it directed to, change any data or alter i information in a way that would jeopardize public health. At all times during the ! Trade Center disaster, EPA conducted itself in a fully forthright manner, using its I I best professional judgment and expertise to provide its best advice to the people of New York.

At no time did ERA compromise its mission to protect public health.

Your citations from the report of the Office of the Inspector General (IG) I regarding our conduct at the World Trade Center ignore two fundamental I conclusions that speak to your concerns:

“In regard to the monitoring data, we found no evidence that EPA attempted to conceal data results from the public."

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