Monique Harden of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights writes:

On the 3^rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on August 29^th and the sixth anniversary of 9/11, I wonder if people realize that when it comes to a national disaster no person in this country has the right to recover.

Under the Robert T. Stafford Act, no person affected by a national disaster has the right to seek any form of assistance from the government even for medical emergencies. The Stafford Act also bestows on the president complete discretion in matters involving a national disaster.

With a law that removes governmental accountability to the people, is it any wonder how the Bush Environmental Protection Agency was able to get off the hook for misinforming New Yorkers about air quality in the aftermath of 9/11?

Monique Harden is Co-Director of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights.

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