EPA Dams Flow of Environmental Hazard Information from New Orleans

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Reporters trying to assess the environmental hazards from Hurricane Katrina’s damage to the region’s oil and chemical facilities, and to tell the public of potential dangers, have run into a bureaucratic levee. The EPA , which notes on its website that it is conducting aerial surveys but provides no findings, has refused journalist requests for the results, forcing them to file time-delaying FOIA requests. The Society of Environmental Journalists has protested, urging expedited handling at a minimum. (9/7/05)