EPA: Response to the Columbia Shuttle Accident

Press Releases

The following press releases from FEMA, NASA and EPA are co-produced and reside on FEMA's and NASA's Web sites.

May 5, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Recap Of The Search For Columbia Shuttle Material

May 5, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Environmental Protection Agency Sent 1,900 Responders To Columbia Shuttle Search; Made 48,400 Debris Collections

April 28, 2003- FEMA Press Release - FEMA Closing Disaster Field Office In Lufkin On May 10

April 24, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Columbia Ground Crews Log 1.4 Million Search-Hours; Operation Functions Transitioning From FEMA To NASA In Late April

April 23, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Columbia Shuttle Material Reporting Hotline Will Remain Open

April 17, 2003- FEMA Press Release - FEMA Will Hand On-Going Recovery Operations To NASA April 30

April 14, 2003- FEMA Press Release - All Reported Shuttle Debris In Louisiana Has Been Picked Up, Residents Asked To Call 1-866-446-6603 To Report Future Finds

April 10, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Ground Crews Top 470,000 Acres Searched, 76 Percent Of Ground Search Completed; 4,900 Personnel Actively Looking For Columbia Shuttle Debris

April 8, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Columbia Shuttle Recovery Helicopter Air Operations Resume

April 7, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Columbia Recovery Dive Operations Drawing To Close

April 2, 2003- FEMA Press Release - FEMA Obligates $ 2.78 Million To Reimburse Local Eligible Shuttle Recovery Costs In Texas, Louisiana

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March 31, 2003- FEMA Press Release - More than 90 Agencies Assemble to Assist in Shuttle Recovery Effort

March 28, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Columbia Search Helicopter Crashes, Two Die, Three Injured; Air Search Operation Suspended Pending Incident Investigation

March 27, 2003- FEMA Press Release - 10,000 Plus Ground Searchers, Air Teams Cover 1.7 Million Acres; More Than 42,000 Confirmed Columbia Debris Items Are Found

March 26, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Columbia Shuttle Recovery Operation Pulls Search Crews Nationwide

March 25, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Primary Search For Columbia Material Passes Halfway Mark

March 25, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Columbia Recovery Water Operations Overview

March 23, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Columbia Recovery Air Search Operation Overview

March 21, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Space Shuttle Columbia Search Records Impressive Numbers

March 19, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Columbia Recovery Operation Still Needs Help Finding Shuttle Material

March 18, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Six-Week Look Into Columbia Recovery Operation; Ground, Air Crews Top 1.5 Million Acres Searched

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March 14, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Six-Week Look Into Columbia Recovery Operation; Ground, Air Crews Top 1 Million Acres Searched

March 13, 2003- FEMA Press Release - FEMA Obligates $1.15 Million To Reimburse Local Eligible Shuttle Recovery Costs In Texas, Louisiana

March 10, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Good Weather Makes For Good Searching; Air, Land And Water Searchers Fully Active

March 6, 2003- FEMA Press Release - 632 From Texas Help With Shuttle Material Search

March 6, 2003- FEMA Press Release - 64 From Virginia Help With Shuttle Material Search

March 6, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Search Crews Cover 103,000 Acres, Retrieve 22,100 Pieces Of Shuttle Material

March 5, 2003- FEMA Press Release - FEMA Obligates $332,000 To Reimburse Local Shuttle Recovery Efforts

March 4, 2003- FEMA Press Release - FEMA Obligates $245,000 To Reimburse Texas Local Eligible Shuttle Recovery Costs

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March 3, 2003- FEMA Press Release - States, Counties Listed Where Pre Break-Up Material May Have Landed

March 1, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Good Progress Made In One Month of Shuttle Recovery

March 1, 2003- FEMA Press Release - Photographs, Videos, Eyewitness Reports Still Needed

February 27,2003- FEMA Press Release - Search For Shuttle Materials Continues

February 26, 2003 - NASA Press Release - NASA Research Aircraft Searches Columbia's Path for Debris

February 25, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Corsicana Iced In, Palestine Forced To Return; Nacogdoches, Hemphill Crews In Field

February 25, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - 3,000 Plus Ground Searchers From 38 States Hunting Columbia Debris, NASA Asks For Help From Landowners In Reporting Suspected Finds

February 24, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - 155 Crews From 38 States Now On Ground

February 22, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Weather Improves Search Conditions

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February 21, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Landowners Advised As Search Intensifies

February 21, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - NASA Says No Need To Stop Work In Fields, But Call If Debris Found

February 19, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Updates Search, Find, and Secure Columbia Accident Activities

February 19, 2003 - NASA Press Release - NASA Asks for Help in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico & Utah

February 19, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Space Shuttle Columbia Search and Recovery Enters New Phase

February 18, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Updates Search, Find, And Secure Columbia Accident Activities

February 18, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Shuttle Recovery Information

February 17, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Updates Search, Find, and Secure Columbia Accident Activities

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February 16, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Updates Search, Find, and Secure Columbia Accident Activities

February 16, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - NASA Asks For Continued Help From Area Residents

February 14, 2003 - NASA Press Release - NASA Seeks Help from Sky Watchers

February 13, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Texas Counties May Still Contain Shuttle Material

February 13, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Statement by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (Feb. 13, 2003) Thermal Analysis Shows Hot Plasma Possible in Columbia Left Wheel Well Area

February 13, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Columbia Astronaut Remains Identified

February 13, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA/Texas Working To Get Eligible Public Assistance Funds To Local Agencies

February 13, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Shuttle Damage Claims go to NASA

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February 12, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Updates Search, Find, And Secure Activities Relating To Columbia Accident

February 12, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Officials Explain 'Public Assistance' Program

February 12, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Joint Congressional Hearing Results in Second Charter Amendment for Gehman Board

February 11, 2003 - EPA Press Release - Shuttle Material Not Present in Drinking Water

February 10, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Officials Seek Second Round of Shuttle Searches

February 9, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Responds To Offers Of Donated Goods and Services For Columbia Emergency

February 8, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - No Injuries Confirmed Because Of Fallen Shuttle Materials; Citizens Urged To Avoid Contact With Unfamiliar Objects

February 8, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Updates Search, Find And Secure Activities For Columbia Investigation

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February 7, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Updates Search, Find And Secure Activities For Columbia Investigation

February 6, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Seven West Texas Counties Alerted Of Possible Scattered Shuttle Material

February 6, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - President Amends Columbia Emergency Declaration To Include All Affected States

February 6, 2003 - NASA Press Release - NASA Updates Columbia Accident Investigation

February 5, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - Substantial New Resources Committed to Expedite Search and Collection Effort for Columbia Material

February 5, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Updates Search, Find And Secure Activities For Columbia Emergency

February 5, 2003 - NASA Press Release - NASA Mission Control Center Status Report

February 5, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Researchers Assess Status of STS-107 Scientific Data

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February 4, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Updates Search, Find And Secure Activities For Columbia Emergency

February 4, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Assistance Increased to Aid Columbia Debris Clean-Up

February 4, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Space Shuttle Accident Investigation Board Chair Tours Recovery Area

February 3, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Establishes Joint Information Center For Columbia Debris Search, Find, And Secure Mission At Lufkin Civic Center

February 3, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Continues To Coordinate Actions To Assist State And Local Authorities In Search, Find And Secure Mission For Columbia Debris

February 3, 2003 - NASA Press Release - NASA Announces Corrected Procedure for Filing Damage Claims

February 3, 2003 - FEMA Press Release - FEMA Puts Federal Resources Into Action To Assist State And Local Authorities In Search, Find And Secure Mission For Columbia Debris

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February 2, 2003 - EPA Press Release - EPA's Continued Response to Columbia Shuttle Accident

February 2, 2003 - EPA Press Release - Respuesta continua de la EPA al accidente del transbordador espacial Columbia

February 2, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Handle Space Shuttle Debris with Caution

February 2, 2003 - NASA Press Release - NASA Announces Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board

February 1, 2003 - NASA Press Release - NASA Asks for Help with Columbia Investigation

February 1, 2003 - NASA Press Release - Statement by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe

February 1, 2003 - NASA Fact Sheet - Space Shuttle Columbia Crew Profiles

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Airborne Spectral-imagery of Environmental Contaminants Technology (ASPECT)

The Airborne Spectral-imagery of Environmental Contaminants Technology (ASPECT) system is mounted in an airplane which flies over the suspected chemical plume and detects if chemicals are present.

The ASPECT pilots provide a computer image to local, state and federal response managers on the ground. They can then transmit a photograph or map that clearly shows the chemical plume as well as information on the chemical nature and intensity of the release. These capabilities provide immediate information that the first responders need to protect themselves and allow them to make informed decisions concerning the response actions which will protect human health and prevent damage to the environment.

ASPECT can also provide for search and discovery operations by providing aerial photographs and Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping information.

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	Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) The EPA Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) houses a self-contained mobile laboratory and can collect outdoor air quality samples while moving along roads in communities. Instruments on the TAGA bus can measure concentrations of many chemicals in the air at extremely low concentrations.

The EPA uses TAGA to collect and measure real-time outdoor air for hazardous chemicals during emergencies to ensure public health and the environment are protected. Often, air quality measurements from the TAGA assists our scientists in tracking hazardous chemicals to their source, as well as, provides important air quality information to local, state and federal response managers. The TAGA can also be used as a mobile laboratory to test air quality collected by other methods. The EPA has two TAGA buses - one based in Houston, Texas, and the second based in Edison, New Jersey. There are about twelve TAGA buses in the world.

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U.S. EPA On-Scene Coordinator

The EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) is the federal official responsible for monitoring or directing responses to all oil spills and hazardous substance releases reported to the federal government. The EPA OSC coordinates all federal efforts with, and provides support and information to, local, state and regional response communities. The federal OSC is an employee of either EPA or the U.S. Coast Guard, depending on where the incident occurs. EPA OSCs have primary responsibility for spills and releases to inland areas and waters, while U.S. Coast Guard OSCs have responsibility for coastal waters and the Great Lakes. In general, the OSC has the following key responsibilities during and after a response to a hazardous substance release or an oil spill: (1) assessment; (2) monitoring; (3) response assistance; and (4) evaluation. ... more

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U.S. EPA Environmental Response Team

In 1978, the EPA Environmental Response Team (ERT) was established to provide on-site national expert assistance as required by the National Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA ERT is an essential element in the EPA's readiness efforts to take immediate action in the event of any chemical release that poses an imminent threat to public health and safety.
Today, the ERT continues to provide on-site national and international expertise to clean up environmental damage to air, land, and water, and evaluating threats to public health. The ERT is comprised of a team of recognized experts in environmental emergencies who provide on-scene assistance on a "round the clock" basis to deal with environmental disasters. ... more

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