<p>EPA committed to Franklin</p><p>To the editor:</p><p>After reading your June 28, 2019, story “Inspector general says EPA misled Franklin,” I want to make sure your readers have the facts about the Environmental Protection Agency’s actions at the Amphenol site.</p><p>At EPA’s public meeting in Franklin in June, I promised that we will complete our work — using good science and the best available technology — as quickly as possible and that we would keep you informed and updated throughout.</p><p>Our actions show our commitment to working closely with your community while we clean up the Amphenol site. Since last summer, when we first realized that the previous site cleanup wasn’t working as well as it should have, EPA has conducted extensive outreach to ensure residents are informed about EPA’s activities and understand the risks posed by the contamination.</p><p>We have held public meetings, participated in press conferences, held weekly update calls with the mayor, mailed letters and fact sheets and created an extensive website to share maps, data and other information. I’ve also assigned additional communications staff to work on the site, and we’re moving ahead with creating a community group to ensure information is shared more efficiently.</p><p>Lastly, let me assure you that EPA, Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the city of Franklin remain committed to the people of Franklin and Johnson County — committed to protecting public health, committed to addressing environmental issues as quickly as possible, and committed to keeping the community informed.</p><p><strong>Cathy Stepp</strong></p><p><strong>Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Administrator</strong></p>
