1. Hurricane Recovery EPA Water Program Overview Briefing for ACWI

2. Briefing Overview EPA’s Role Assistance for Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Water Monitoring & Assessment Processes Ecosystem Restoration Closing

3. EPA’s Role Direct/coordinate and/or provide technical assistance for environmental response activities at the incident site USCG lead for coastal zone; EPA lead for inland zone

4. Typical response activities include: Incident Action Plan development Site safety plan development (response planning) Sample collection & analysis (air/water monitoring) Alternative water supply provisions (potable water) Source control & stabilization (berms, booms, dikes, plugging release points) On-site treatment (neutralization, thermal destruction, solidification, detonation) Off-site disposal or treatment Temporary relocation Evidence collection and other law enforcement efforts

5. Assistance for Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Short-term Activities Tracking the operational status of systems Technical assistance for emergency repair Mobile labs Technical assistance and advice for FEMA Public Assistance

7. Long-term Activities Improving future emergency response and recovery - "Utilities helping Utilities" - Mutual Aid Agreements (Modeled after FlaWARN) Participating on ESF #14 Interagency Working Group Support states in providing technical assistance to utilities: Funding assistance and advice Assistance for Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure

8. Water Monitoring & Assessment Processes Short-term Activities Floodwater Sampling with LA DEQ Mississippi Bays Study with State of Miss. BOLD surveys with other Federal/State Agencies Weekly monitoring calls with other federal agencies, states Data flow/approvals and web postings

9. Water Monitoring & Assessment Processes Long-term Activities Coordinated efforts on water monitoring with other federal and state agencies to analyze data and interpret, collectively, what it means Participation on State-Federal Taskforce on Sampling and Analysis of Fish and Shellfish from Katrina Affected Coastal Areas Participation on White House Task Force Working Group on Environmental Impacts and Cleanup Subcommittee on Bio-monitoring and Sampling

10. Ecosystems Restoration Short-term Activities Promote EPA’s restoration message: Reconstruction PLUS Restoration for True Protection Commit EPA staff now to emerging activities (LTCR plans) Build on existing EPA Region/State collaborations (CWPPRA Task Force)

11. Ecosystems Restoration Long-term Activities Support three primary restoration themes: - River reintroductions - Barrier island restoration - Pipeline sediment transfer for wetlands restoration Explore funding and collaboration alternatives (private/corporate as well as governmental) needed for full implementation Inform/adaptively manage restoration with assessment results

12. Closing Remarks Environmental Information Sharing across all levels of government was and remains critical Timeliness and Quality Assurance of Monitoring Results Data Standards are a good start but Agencies must adopt and implement them from Field – Lab – Analysis – Results!