and monitoring and identification of workers 
likely to be facing high risk of hazardous expo-
sures; 
(B) relief, reconstruction and clean-up 
workers of all contributing agencies— 
(i) are properly informed of the envi-
ronmental hazards they may face in their 
work; 
(ii) are provided proper training in 
handling toxic materials; 
(iii) are provided with the proper pro-
tective equipment (such as respirators to 
protect against airborne toxins), and guide-
lines and training for using them; and 
(iv) receive proper immunizations, 
where necessary and appropriate; 
(C) mechanisms are in place to provide 
equal protection from environmental and health 
hazards to State and local public employees not 
covered by regulations of the Occupational 
Safety and Health Administration; and 
(D) these efforts are coordinated in close 
collaboration with local employers, unions and 
safety and health professionals.
(2) ADVANCE PLANNING.—Some advance plan-
ning for such trainings will be required in order for 
the trainings to be meaningful to untrained, low-in-
come and immigrant workers who may have limited 
English language skills. 
(c) PRIORITY TO RESIDENTS.—The Administrator 
shall ensure that qualified residents returning to New Or-
leans and hurricane-affected areas, and who are faced with 
the job loss are given priority in new hirings for positions 
involved in ongoing sampling and assessment of the envi-
ronment. 
SEC. 109. PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING. 
(a) EARLY INTERVENTION.— 
(1) 
IMMEDIATE
HUMAN
HEALTH
ASSESS-
MENT.—The Administrator shall seek to include in 
the CESTAP plan an immediate public health as-
sessment of— 
(A) populations remaining in or returning 
to areas of known or potential exposure to envi-
ronmental contaminants, hazardous materials 
or infectious materials, and 
(B) relief, rehabilitation and clean-up 
workers working in areas known to be at risk. 
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of such immediate 
interventions is—
(A) to identify any epidemiological out-
breaks or toxological trends in the population; 
and 
(B) as a means of 
(i) screening for hazards missed by 
other forms of environmental sampling; 
(ii) alerting relevant health officials to 
addressing the problem; and 
(iii) setting a base-line for long-term 
monitoring. 
(b) LONG-TERM MONITORING.—The CESTAP plan 
shall include provisions for periodic follow-up studies, no 
more than a year apart, to assess the ongoing and long- 
term health impacts of environmental contaminants, haz-
ardous or infectious materials that were or may have been 
released into the environment as a result of the impact 
of Hurricane Katrina. 
SEC. 110. INDEPENDENT ADVISORY AND REVIEW BOARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—In order to ensure maximum 
consonance with efforts of residences of affected areas and 
cities to rebuild their homes, businesses and communities, 
an Independent Advisory and Review Board (IARB) shall 
be established, and shall be comprised of— 
(1) 3 professionals who can share expert sci-
entific and environmental knowledge with the Ad-
ministrator and officials involved in carrying out the 
CESTAP; 
(2) 3 respected community leaders capable of 
providing to the Administrator and officials involved 
in carrying out the CESTAP first-hand knowledge 
of— 
(A) State, local, and community resources 
and organizational capacities; 
(B) existing plans and efforts by State, 
local, and community to rebuild their commu-
nities as well as to deal with discovered environ-
mental contaminants and hazardous materials; 
and 
(C) the priorities and concerns of affected 
populations; 
(3) 3 officials from State and local government; 
and 
(4) 3 State and local public health and safety 
officials. 
(b) NOMINATIONS.—Nominations shall be solicited 
from— 
(1) local and national scientific and environ-
mental non-governmental organizations; 
(2) civic bodies and community organizations in 
the affected cities, States and regions;