Fax cover sheet from Council on Environmental Quality, August 2000

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

PWl : FAX NO. : Rug. 09 2000 03:0gpn P2

s EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

I s COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY WASHINGTON. D.C. 20503

CHAIRMAN October 27,2003

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton United States Senate 476 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Joseph L Lieberman. United States Senate 706 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senators Clinton and Lieberman: I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your September 9* letter, building on the subsequent constructive discussions that I have had with Senator Clinton and that our respective staffs have had concerning your questions about lower Manhattan air quality in the aftermath of the September 11'” attacks and subsequent efforts the government has undertaken to further assure public health and safety. This letter sets out our understanding following those staff discussions. f The tragedy of September if** was unprecedented in its scope. The complexity of the situation facing the local, state and federal governments in responding to this terrorist attack was immense - the work by all was heroic.

TheEnviroMhTsntal Protection Agency working with the Council on Environmental Quality, OSHA and the State and City of New York, did their utmost to communicate the best available information accurately, and in a timely fashion to meet the needs of lower-Manhattan residents, workers and businesses. Their safety, health and well-being were our greatest concerns, and remain so today. The information was communicated through a variety of methods, including press releases, direct communications with residents and media interviews with federal, state and local officials. We continue to stand by the information distributed in press releases regarding potential long-term health risks. The EPA Inspector General reported that the experts her office spoke to generally confirmed that EPA’s draft risk evaluation tended to support EPA’s statements on long-term health effects. As we discussed, the federal government’s communications in September of2001 were conveyed real-time in complex and fast-moving circumstances. In all instances, we acted with the best available data at file time, and updated our communications and actions as new data was coming in. We all learned a great deal in the aftramath of September 11 including how to improve our response and communications efforts. Given a situation with the uncertainty and emotions such as fallowed the World Trade Center attacks, we recognize that we can communicate best through a focused, civil, and collaborative effort. After September 11*. EPA conducted a “lessons learned” exercise and, in coiyunction with the new Department of

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NYC-WTC_000151666