EPA Issues Unclear Public Information on Toxic Exposures in Wake of Hurricane Katrina

While EPA provided useful environmental health risk information to the public via flyers, public service announcements and the EPA Web page, the communications were at times unclear and inconsistent on how to mitigate exposure to some contaminants, particularly asbestos and mold.

Further, the usefulness of three key reports on EPA’s environmental sampling in New Orleans (developed with, among others, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to address potential health risks from exposure to floodwaters, sediments, and air) was limited by a lack of timeliness and insufficient disclosures about EPA’s sampling program.

For example, EPA did not state until August 2006 that its December 2005 report (which said that the great majority of the data showed that adverse health effects would not be expected from exposure to sediments from previously flooded areas) applied to short-term visits, such as to view damage to homes.