Remember ‘No Concerns’ About Health Risks? None Of EPA’s Monitoring After Hurricane Harvey Was Valid, Watchdog Report Shows

The report supports findings by the media last year that revealed a far more widespread toxic impact than authorities publicly reported. Known carcinogens were among the industrial toxic substances released into surrounding neighborhoods. And recently, dozens of people in Houston were possibly exposed to a plant's mercury spill.

The Associated Press: EPA Watchdog: Health Monitoring After Harvey Was Lacking

A federal watchdog released a report Monday that cast doubt on the public health assurances made after Hurricane Harvey unleashed an environmental assault on the country’s largest petrochemical corridor, saying officials relied on limited data to offer residents peace of mind and that Houston’s air quality monitors had been offline to prevent storm damage. The report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General paints a picture of state and federal regulators telling those who live in and around the nation’s fourth-largest city — which was inundated with more than 50 inches of rainfall — that there were no public health risks even though it lacked a full range of data to make such a determination. (Weber, 12/16)

The Associated Press: Dozens Potentially Exposed To Toxic Mercury In Houston Spill

Dozens of people in Houston potentially were exposed to the toxic metal mercury after it was spilled outside a Walmart, a Sonic Drive-In and a gas station, officials said. Federal and local investigators were trying to determine if the spills were intentional. Fire Chief Sam Pena said up to 60 people were asked to take decontamination showers and a pregnant woman was taken to a hospital as a precaution. (12/16)

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