Former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Christie Todd Whitman took the hot seat Monday to answer questions about the air quality at ground zero following the 9/11 attacks.

Whitman, who is the first federal official to testify under oath on the issue, defended the EPA's September 13 claim that the air was clean. She said it is utterly incorrect to think that the EPA set out to mislead the public.

First responders from Westchester and the Hudson Valley, however, said Whitman's testimony did little to clear the air. They say her testimony was defensive and smug, and did not explain why those exposed were not informed.

More hearings are planned for the future and local responders say they plan to attend all of them.