Three more US GIs were killed in Iraq overnight. For
what? MEANWHILE...here are some more names to scrawl
on the John O'Neil Wall of Heroes, here is another
story that will not be menionted by the
propapunditgandists on this morning's "news" shows...
We, the undersigned representatives of the workers who perform health and environmental protection duties at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency across America, express our anger and dismay over evidence of the White House’s improper actions in connection with communicating health risk information to emergency workers and residents in New York immediately following the terror attacks on that city on September 11, 2001.
http://www.nteu280.org/Issues/nteu%209-11%20Statement.htm
STATEMENT OF U.S. EPA LABOR UNIONS ON IMPROPER WHITE HOUSE INFLUENCE ON EPA’S RESPONSE TO TERROR ATTACK OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
We, the undersigned representatives of the
workers who perform health and environmental
protection duties at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency across America, express our anger and dismay
over evidence of the White House’s improper actions in
connection with communicating health risk information
to emergency workers and residents in New York
immediately following the terror attacks on that city
on September 11, 2001.
EPA’s dedicated Civil Service employees
performed their duties swiftly and competently
following the terror attack, assessing as accurately
as possible the environmental health risks faced by
the brave rescue workers and nearby residents from
toxic substances released in the attack. These workers
reported to senior EPA officials their best estimate
of the risks, and they expected those estimates and
the accompanying recommendations for protective
measures to be released in a timely manner to those
who needed the information.
The public was not informed of all of these health
risks, some of which were avoidable. This information
was withheld from the public under orders from the
White House. Instead, the Bush White House had
information released, drafted by political appointees,
that it knew to contradict the scientific facts. It
misinformed. And many rescue workers and citizens
suffered. Some citizens now face the long-term risk
of asbestos-related lung cancer as well as other
debilitating respiratory ailments as a result.
Little did the Civil Service expect that
their professional work would be subverted by
political pressure applied by the White House. This
unwarranted and inexcusable interference with the
professional work of the Civil Service by politicians
reporting directly to President Bush caused rescue
workers and residents to be exposed to health risks
that could have been, indeed should have been,
avoided.
We express our solidarity with the rescue
workers and residents who were affected adversely by
this outrageous action of President Bush’s staff.
There is no excuse for White House politicians
imposing their values and overriding the Civil
Service’s best advice on protecting those still
digging in the wreckage and those whose homes and
offices were covered with toxic debris.
President Bush owes the rescue workers,
residents, dedicated Civil Service workers and the
American people more than an apology for his actions
in this matter. President Bush should take steps to
compensate the rescue workers and residents who were
harmed by his administration’s actions.
The President’s political appointees’
interference with the professional work of the EPA
Civil Service has seriously harmed EPA’s credibility.
Before there is another national emergency, that
credibility must be restored.
The President must pledge to never again order EPA to
tell less than the whole truth about a public health
emergency.
/s/ Paul Sacker
/s/ Dwight Welch
President AFGE Local 3911, New York President NTEU
Chapter 280, Washington, DC
/s/ Alan Hollis
/s/ Henry Burrell
President AFGE Local 3631, Philadelphia President
AFGE Local 3428, Boston
/s/ Nancy Barron
/s/ Gretchen Helm
President NAGE Local R5-55, Atlanta President
AFGE Local 3331, Washington, DC
/s/ Charles Orzehoskie
/s/ Merrit Nicewander
President AFGE Local 704 Chicago President
AFGE Local 1003, Dallas
/s/ John C Anderson
/s/ Kevin Orendorf
President NTEU Chapter 294 Kansas City President
AFGE Local 3607, Denver
/s/ Wendell Smith
/s/ Patrick Chan
President ESC EPA-Unit San Francisco President
NTEU Chapter 295, San Francisco
/s/ Mary St. Peter
/s/ Mark Coryell
President AFGE Local 1110, Seattle
President AFGE Local 3907, Ann Arbor
/s/ Larry Penley
/s/ Silvia Saracco
President NTEU Chapter 279, Cincinnati President
AFGE Local 3347 Research Triangle Park
/s/ Nita Tallent-Halsell
/s/ Lesley Mills
President NAGE R12-135, Las Vegas President
NAGE R1-240, Narragansett
/s/ Geraldine Cripe
President
NAGE Local R5-95