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Request for Enhanced Public Education Plan

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION III
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-2029

May 6, 2004

Mr. Jerry N. Johnson
General Manager
District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
5000 Overlook Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20032

Dear Mr. Johnson:

At my request, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff conducted a review of the education and outreach activities which occurred in response to elevated levels of lead in the District's drinking water during 2002 and 2003. Enclosed is the final version of the report entitled Recommendations for Improving the Washington DC Water and Sewer Authority Lead in Drinking Water Public Education Program.

The review was undertaken to advise me of potential areas for improvement by both WASA and EPA in order that our agencies may implement the most effective outreach and education programs on the important issue of safe drinking water. The report was prepared by a team from various offices of EPA with expertise in drinking water on technical and regulatory issues, as well as outreach, education and risk communication. I wanted to ensure you that WASA was in receipt of this document before it was made available to the general public.

These recommendations should be viewed as a key input to your continuing efforts to plan and carry out enhancements to your drinking water education efforts both for regulatory compliance and "beyond compliance" efforts. As noted in correspondence from the EPA on April 14, we offered the opportunity for a meeting to review these and earlier comments at your convenience.

In order to have a clear path for the future, we are requesting that WASA prepare an Enhanced Public Education Plan in one central document to be submitted to EPA by
May 21, 2004. We suggest that the Enhanced Plan incorporate the input of the enclosed document, as well as other recommendations that have been made from WASA internal or other reviews.

If you have any questions on this report or wish to arrange a meeting, please contact
Jon Capacasa, Director, Water Protection Division, at 215-814-5422.

Sincerely,

/signed/


Donald S. Welsh
Regional Administrator

Enclosure

 


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