U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, a native of New Orleans, arrived on the Gulf Coast today as part of a coordinated Obama administration visit to mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall and to discuss recovery issues following the 86-day oil leak in the Gulf.

Jackson met with students at Metairie Academy in the New Orleans area before delivering the keynote speech at a Tulane University conference on coastal vulnerability. Tomorrow, the EPA chief is set to hold another school-based event before meeting with volunteers building homes for the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity and addressing a multidisciplinary conference on the Gulf.

Since the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster began unfolding in April, Jackson has said that her connection with Gulf residents makes her particularly focused on communities' needs (Greenwire, May 3).

The climax of the four-day visit is set for Sunday, when President Obama plans to deliver remarks on Gulf rebuilding at Xavier University in New Orleans, joined by the first lady and other Cabinet members. Obama will "talk a little bit about our efforts, what we've done on Katrina, what we're doing on the Gulf to a certain extent, and what we can do to help the Gulf region recover," White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters Tuesday.