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EPA Response Activities in St. Bernard Parish

Release Date: 10/25/2005
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

     Our hearts go out to the people of St. Bernard Parish, and we share with them an urgent sense of duty to help restore the communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.  The magnitude of Hurricane Katrina will require sustained, long-term coordination across federal agencies and with affected state and parish governments.  

     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted sediment sampling in St. Bernard Parish beginning September 9th.  EPA sampling data are available at https://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/.

     Six Community Involvement Coordinators have been in St. Bernard Parish since October 3rd fostering relationships with parish residents and officials, distributing in excess of 8,000 informational fliers, attending meetings and supporting our field response personnel.  EPA activity in St. Bernard Parish has included visits to: The St. Bernard Fire Department, the St. Bernard Port Harbor and Terminal District, Chalmette Refinery, Domino Sugar Plant, Toco Plant and Murphy Oil.    

     Additional EPA activities in St. Bernard Parish include a team visit to the FEMA Disaster Relief Center and the National Guard distribution center in Violet.  EPA is continuing it's cleanup of the True Value Hardware store on East Judge Perez Drive and has prepared a location on St. Bernard Highway for curbside collection of household hazardous waste.   EPA is continuing its oversight of response to Murphy Oil spill in Chalmette and continues to meet with the St. Bernard Parish Council daily.

     Looking ahead, much remains to be done to address the public health and environmental impacts of Hurricane Katrina.  The safe management of debris remains a high priority, and EPA will assist our federal, state and parish partners as they move forward on debris removal.  

      For its part, EPA will provide sound and practical advice, participate in hazardous waste removal where appropriate, and continue to monitor air quality.  EPA will also continue to work with and support the parish government in their efforts to restore public facilities including drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities.  EPA will continue to make sure that all environmental sampling data is readily available to federal, state and parish officials and the public.