As we survey the events following the storm, our government's early response can only be viewed as woefully inadequate. The government has employed incomplete testing of the dangers, withheld information from the public about chemicals in the flood waters, and provided misleading information about public safety. The public deserves better from the government it relies on as its first line of protection in a crisis. The fact is that thousands of sites in the storms path use or store hazardous chemicals. From the day Hurricane Katrina passed over the Gulf Coast, report after report from residents and media on the ground told of oil spills, obvious leaks from plants, storage tankers turned on end, and massive fires. Yet our information about what threats to the public actually exist, what measures are being taken to protect the public, and what measures people in the area should be taking to protect themselves remains vague and piecemeal. Evidencing the confusing information available are statements made by Chris M. Piehler of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, who told reporters earlier this week, "early results do not indicate specific toxic pollutants at any levels of concern," and, in stark contrast, a New Orleans City news release, which stated that "a disease-laden sludge could remain on streets and buildings, which may further compromise public health." Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen Johnson has acknowledged there is great uncertainty over toxic hazards that remain in the flooded parts of New Orleans. Yet, EPA's Response to Katrina webpage offers far too little information to assuage this uncertainty. The agency indicates that only a few chemicals had been found to be over their acceptable limit, which would only pose a threat to children and pregnant women who they drank significant qualities of flood water. An EPA press release acknowledged the presence of 'fuel oils' in soil deposits left behind from the flood waters, but EPA has not released detailed data about which chemicals have been found in soil. Many 'fuel oils' and other petroleum byproducts are known carcinogens and can breach certain protective gear, yet the EPA release gives no warning of potential cancer risks of exposure. In even more flip-flopping by government agencies, over the weekend city officials announced plans to allow some businesses and residents to return to the city as early as next week, while Vice Admiral Thad Allen, head of FEMA's relief effort, called these plans "problematic" and voiced doubts about the safety of return to the city. No one seems to know what potential dangers were left behind from the polluted flood waters. These concerns will require addressing for some time to come, as decisions are made about the safety of institutions, such as schools, day care facilities, or hospitals, where children and other vulnerable populations could face exposure. Along with many local and national environmental right-to-know organizations, OMB Watch is calling on federal agencies to level with the American people, so that individuals and communities in affected areas can make the best possible choices to protect their own health and safety. You can take action now and tell EPA to fully investigate the environmental hazards released in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina and to disclose all its findings to the public.