By DANIEL SONNINSHINE
The 2018 hurricane season officially began on June 1, and the Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it is ready. Having learned from the major hurricanes of 2017, Harvey, Irma, and Maria, the Agency has stated it is coordinating with federal, state, and local agencies to be ready to respond to the storms and their after-effects.
At a recent press conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated, “EPA stands ready with our partners on every level to respond to the 2018 hurricane season. Given the expert preparedness and rapid response efforts of our teams during last year’s hurricanes, we are confident that we will respond swiftly to provide the necessary support and minimize impacts to public health and the environment.”
This preparedness includes, according to a recent press release from the EPA, approximately 60 personnel on the ground in Puerto Rico and USVI and in the Regional Emergency Operations Center in Edison, NJ dedicated to response, recovery, and readiness.
The EPA has provided ongoing assistance in Puerto Rico, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria last year. In their ongoing efforts, it has maintained several generators used to supply power to some public water supply systems, according to the press release. These generators will remain in Puerto Rico in an effort to be prepared for any potential storms that hit over the next several months.
Hurricane season ends on November 30.
Daniel Sonninshine is an Empire State News staff writer, who is in search of greatness. A 20-something smart fellow, he is now lifting weights in an effort to obtain more power. If that doesn’t work, he will ask to write more editorials for Empire State News and less fact articles.
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