Orleans Parish/Freedom of Information Officer
Office of Emergency Management
City Hall 9E01
New Orleans, LA 70112
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to obtain a copy of the Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan for Orleans Parish.
Federal law creates a Local Emergency Planning Committee for each local entity in the country; Orleans Parish is such an entity. Each LEPC is supposed to have what’s called a Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan, which contains information local officials will use if there’s a chemical spill or other events where hazardous materials are released or present. Under federal law, Title 42, Chapter 116, Subchapter 11 §11044(a), this document shall be made publicly available.
I have been trying to obtain this document since January. I now make this request for the Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan under the Freedom of Information Act. In order to help determine my status to assess fees, you should know that I am a representative of the news media and this request is made as part of a news gathering and not for commercial use.
In January when I went to the office registered with the EPA as the LEPC, it was the firehouse at 317 Decatur Street. That office sent me to the Office of Emergency Preparedness at City Hall, where I did not receive the plan in response to a verbal (and offered written) request. An individual at the OEP sent me to the website http://www.nolaready.com and told me a “comprehensive plan” had been in draft form since last July and was not available to the public.
The website – accessed today – did not contain the information I’m requesting access to. Since I’m a freelance radio reporter, who files stories for National Public Radio and other radio entities, I put in a media request to the Mayor’s office through XX and XX and others, during the months of February, March, April, and May. These requests were not answered.
I’d appreciate it if the Office of Emergency Preparedness responded to my request by allowing me access to the comprehensive plan – of which this information I’m seeking is a part – for the parish.
I would also like to know when the Local Emergency Planning Committee published, under federal law, Title 42, Chapter 116, Subchapter 11 §11044(b), notification that the plan had been published this year (if in fact it has), and the location where the document is publicly available.
I request a waiver of all fees for this request. Disclosure of the requested information to me is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government and is not primarily in my commercial interest. Especially with preparedness on the minds of many residents as hurricane season approaches.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Very truly yours,
