EPA witholds Katrina data

Naples Daily News: Perspective:

"Instead, EPA appears to have taken the same tight-lipped approach in responding to Katrina, denying the public crucial information collected with taxpayers' money on behalf of taxpayers in the first place."
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Mark Schleifstein of the New Orleans Times-Picayune was one of the reporters who in 2002 warned of his city's high risk of the type of damage that has now happened. His own home flooded, Schleifstein reported on Katrina even as he moved to higher ground. That work was made much more difficult when EPA largely ignored Schleifstein's requests for detailed information about chemical releases and other environmental problems.
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Frustrated, Schleifstein filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act, which sets off a slow process that won't help Americans who need answers now. Seth Borenstein of Knight-Ridder, and others, filed their own FOIA requests.
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EPA mentioned high levels of bacteria and some other pollutants, but didn't back the statements up with data. The agency mentioned it had tested for 100 chemical compounds and other pollutants, but didn't release the data.
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What we need to know is what exactly is in the water. Which bacteria and how much? Which gasoline and oil constituents and how much? Which carcinogens? Which pathogens? Americans need to know what specific threats exist and what the government is doing about them.