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ENE works to respond and restore environment after disasters

| 05.07.2008 | 11:46:157332 |
May 07 '08: In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, environmental experts together with federal, state and local government officials worried about the potential devastating environmental effects of the storm which could unleash chemicals, sewage and other pollutants into the flood waters released by the broken levees. The CDC released an announcement saying partnerships were being formed to help prevent widespread damage. Buffalo, NY-based Ecology and Environment, Inc., works to help their federal, state and local partners respond and recovery from such disasters and their impacts on the environment.
During Katrina, ENE partnered with representatives from the US Coast Guard, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency to help clean the Sabine and Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuges in Louisiana.. Underscoring that partnership was the CDC's announcement (aforementioned CDC link) which said that "Early in the disaster response and recovery, federal, state, and local elected officials and public health and environmental leaders recognized the significant role of environmental health in the post-hurricane rebuilding of New Orleans."

According the AP, "Experts have warned about New Orleans' vulnerability for years, chiefly because Louisiana has lost more than a million acres of coastal wetland in the past seven decades. The vast patchwork of swamps and bayous south of the city serves as a buffer, partially absorbing the surge of water that a hurricane pushes ashore."

On their website, ENE said their response to environmental challenges is through "leading the market with innovative, multidisciplinary solutions to complex environmental and human health issues. We will for interdisciplinary teams, communicate our knowledge around the world, act fast and be administratively efficient."

National Blueprint Tags: Response & Containment.