Asbestos and mold in New Orleans

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Asbestos and mold in New Orleans

http://www.weitzlux.com/epaasbestosmoldNew%20Orleans_1902035.html

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.

Courtesy of the Government Office of Accountability