AsthmaMoms World Trade Center: Environmental Health Articles

DECEMBER

EPA Releases Scaled-Back Plan to Test for 9/11 Toxins: Frustrated, Clinton, Nadler and Community Call for a Revision - EPA Panel Chair. "There's No Point in Looking for Things That are Not There" ... The scaled-back indoor testing and clean-up plan released on November 29 by the Environmental Protection Agency to address possible remaining contamination from 9/11 has been met with frustration and derision by community leaders and elected officials, who say its limited scope and methodology are worthless. Lower Manhattan residents who sign up to participate early next year will have their apartments tested for four contaminants - asbestos, manmade vitreous fiber, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and lead. If high levels of these contaminants are found, the apartment will be cleaned free of charge. Among the criticisms of the plan, as stated by Senator Hillary Clinton, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, and community leaders on December 9, arc that the program will not test for other contaminants known to have spewed from the collapsing towers. The plan does not include the testing of apartments in Brooklyn or north of Canal Street, as originally considered. Nor does it include the testing of workplaces. These and other recommendations had been proposed by the WTC Expert Technical Review Panel, a group convened by the EPA in March of 2004 to help develop an environmental testing program for Lower Manhattan ... Senator Clinton said the EPAs actions ignore "many of the concerns of residents and workers who experienced the fallout from the collapse of the World Trade Center first hand, as well as the advice of the independent experts who served on the panel." Representative Nadler voiced even harsher criticism. "This is EPA's shameless effort to find nothing, to spend nothing, to do nothing," he said. ...(Battery Park City Broadsheet, Dec 15, 2005-January 15, 2006)
Safety Plan in Place as 130 Liberty Street Dismantling Approaches: Emergency Preparedness Responsibilities Handed to the BPC CERT - LMDC Gives 48,000 to the Local Community Emergency Response Team to Expand ... With all eyes on next year's deconstruction of the building at 130 Liberty Street, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has set into motion a multi-step safety program. Scaffolding rising on all four sides of the 40-story building will reach the top floor by the end of the year. Floor-by-floor decontamination and deconstruction will commence in early 2006, and the building is expected to be gone by the spring of 2007. Two separate safety teams are monitoring the deconstruction: one under the auspices of the contractor, Bovis Lend Lease, and an independent team hired through the contractor URS. According to LMDC director of construction Lou Mendes, an engineer inspects the site daily, and there are random safety inspections. Regular emergency drills for workers utilize a handheld radio system so that neighboring residents and workers are not alarmed. ... An expansion of the Battery Park City CERT is expected to enhance community preparedness as this major project goes forward. Using a $47,896 grant from the LMDC, the BPC Community Emergency Response Team will offer information and emergency training to residents and workers in the area around 130 Liberty Street. ...(Battery Park City Broadsheet, Dec 15, 2005-January 15, 2006)
Red Cross Grant To Help With Mental, Physical Health Needs Of 9/11 Workers ... A major grant will help one city group continue to address the mental and physical health needs of workers who cleaned-up the World Trade Center site. New York Disaster Interfaith Services is getting a $1.7 million Red Cross grant. The group is a coalition of faith and community-based service agencies. It says the grant will allow them to continue addressing the pressing health and housing needs of recovery workers while they await a decision on their workers compensation claims. The president of NYDIS says many members of the clean-up crews do not have insurance or are illegal immigrants. The group estimates that 1,000 recovery workers will benefit from the grant, and just in time. They've seen a rise in recovery workers with mental and health problems within the last year, and say the increase is because those who haven't been treated before are getting worse. (NY1, December 31, 2005)
Congress OKs Return Of Money Earmarked For 9/11 First Responders ... House leaders voted Thursday to give back $125 million earmarked for September 11th rescue workers. The money, which was included in a multi-billion dollar defense package, was supposed to treat the ongoing ailments of workers who reported to Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills landfill. The funds were originally part of a $20 billion dollar 9/11 aid package President George W. Bush had agreed to give New York City four years ago. But earlier this year the president announced he was rescinding the money because the funds had not been used in time. The bill still needs to be signed by Bush before it is given back to New York City. (NY1, December 23, 2005)
Panel scientists tee off on E.P.A. plan ... Despite resounding criticism, the Environmental Protection Agency will move ahead with a testing and cleanup plan for Lower Manhattan that its own panelists describe as scientifically flawed, designed to find nothing and a wasted effort. Abandoning a 21-month effort to devise a reliable method to test and clean apartments and workplaces in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn for remaining World Trade Center dust, E.P.A. decided last month to instead test only apartments in Manhattan south of Canal St. and to check no workplaces at all. Any apartments cleaned in the 2002 and 2003 E.P.A. cleanup effort will not be tested or cleaned in the new program. The agency will begin recruiting residents for the $7 million testing program early next year. The E.P.A. also disbanded the Expert Technical Review Panel, which was established in March 2004 to advise the agency on formulating its new program. At the panel's final meeting on Dec. 13 at the U.S. Customs House, panel members, residents, rescue workers and environmental advocates expressed dismay at the agency's decision, harking back to the months after Sept. 11 when the agency, under the stewardship of Christine Todd Whitman, misled the public about air quality Downtown. The panel was created in 2004 at the behest of Senator Hillary Clinton after the E.P.A. Inspector General's report found serious flaws with the original cleanup. Critics worry that dust lingering in apartments, workplaces and building HVAC systems might continue to contaminate indoor spaces in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, leading to potential health risks to residents and workers. ... E.P.A. backed away from the testing plan they released in June after a peer review panel found the plan flawed. Peer reviewers voiced doubts that slag wool, an insulating material found in the Trade Center, would be an effective material to use for identifying a signature to isolate W.T.C. dust from typical, urban dust. Rather than revise the testing methods, E.P.A. scrapped its entire plan and opted for a scaled back alternative that resembles the lambasted 2002-2003 cleanup effort. Panelists leveled fierce attacks against the agency, accusing the E.P.A. of ignoring its advice and abandoning science in favor of expediency. "I really feel like I've wasted my time in these past two years on this panel," said Jeanne Stellman, deputy head of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University. "We're back to square one with a proposed approach that we've consistently rejected," said Morton Lippmann, a professor of environmental medicine at New York University. "The results will be completely un-interpretable. I can't say anything positive in even bothering to discuss this plan" E.P.A. appears to want to simply spend money and walk away." ... "The problem with the current plan is not just the absence of science, but the extraordinary likelihood of failure," said Steven Markowitz, director of the Center of Biology of Natural Systems at Queens College. "What we're left with is policy based on no science." Panelists voiced doubts that anyone would participate in the testing program and refused to endorse it. "I can't in good conscience tell my neighbors to participate in this," said Marc Wilkenfeld, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University. At times, panelists all but held back the audience from unleashing their wrath on the agency ... (Downtown Express, by Ronda Kaysen, December 16 - 22, 2005)
Congress Gives New Life to 9/11 Programs ... WASHINGTON -- Tucked deep inside a massive defense spending bill approved by Congress Thursday lies a hard-won nugget of aid for rescuers and construction workers still suffering from the aftereffects of Sept. 11. House leaders voted late Thursday for a massive $453 billion dollar defense package which holds billions more for hurricane aid and avian flu protection. It also contains a comparatively tiny measure to treat sick ground zero workers. ... (Associated Press/Newsday, By Devlin Barrett, December 22, 2005)
EPA Screws New York: New plan for cleaning up 9-11 toxins worse than the old one ... Just four months ago, on the fourth anniversary of 9-11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent a message to New Yorkers: Trust us. At the time, the agency was locked in a debate with dozens of people who live and work in Lower Manhattan over a proposal to test for toxic dust from the World Trade Center disaster. It was struggling to live down the perception it had failed in its mission to protect New Yorkers (see "Dusted," September 6–13). And so, back then, the official word was progress—how the EPA was listening to its critics, for example, and doing what it takes to make downtown safe. Now, the agency is sending a different message to New Yorkers: Screw you. ... And as if true to form, the EPA has shut down the only venue left calling attention to the toxic dust: its expert panel. Created under pressure from Senator Hillary Clinton, the panel has grown increasingly critical of the agency over the past 20 months. Last week, not one panelist supported the final plan. ...(Village Voice, by Kristen Lombardi, December 20th, 2005)
Sierra Club's Report Finds Widespread 9/11 Effects Here: Dust Spread from Heights to Coney .... BROOKLYN - Four years after the 9/11 World Trade Center attack, Sierra Club volunteers and staff visited six neighborhoods in Brooklyn to find out what people recalled about the impact of the 9/11 pollution in their own local area. The organization learned that many people in neighborhoods along the western shore of Brooklyn and further inland not only witnessed World Trade Center dust on the street but also saw or smelled contamination in their homes, and that dust deposition also occurred as far away as Coney Island. Concerned residents from other Brooklyn neighborhoods filled out surveys as well. The Sierra Club undertook this survey effort in part because this past November, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it was scaling back its testing program to exclude Brooklyn and parts of Manhattan above Canal Street. ... Little-Known Survey in '03: Other than the publication of aerial photographs of the dust cloud that spread over Brooklyn, and sporadic newspaper accounts describing dust or burnt paper from the towers landing in Brooklyn neighborhoods, little was known about actual deposition of World Trade Center dust in the borough until nearly two years after the attack That was when the Inspector General for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a small survey that it had conducted of New York City residents - including Brooklyn residents - related to the World Trade Center collapse. The Inspector General asked whether or not the respondents knew if their homes been contaminated with dust and/or debris due to the collapse of the towers. The answers from Brooklyn in this little-known survey were striking. The Inspector General received 204 responses from 20 zip code areas of Brooklyn. Of the 204 residents of Brooklyn who responded, 23.5 percent reported that their residence had been contaminated with visible dust and/or debris as a result of the collapse. The highest-response neighborhoods were Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Windsor Terrace. ...(Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 17, 2005)
Brooklyn Backlash Against EPA'S 9/11 Study.... (Brooklyn Courier, by Joe Maniscalco, December 17, 2005)
E.P.A. to Clean Apartments Despite Objections to Plan ... Despite being rejected by residents, denounced by members of Congress and disowned by the panel of experts that was supposed to shape it, the plan by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to test and clean a limited number of Manhattan apartments for World Trade Center dust will go forward early next year. At a raucous final meeting of the expert panel yesterday, during which dozens of residents angrily condemned the agency for failing to adequately protect them, officials acknowledged that they had decided to go ahead with the scaled-down plan, which was first revealed last month. The cleanup will be limited to apartments in downtown Manhattan below Canal Street, and will exclude the parts of Brooklyn and all the commercial spaces in both boroughs that were covered under an earlier version of the plan. But there are doubts about the cleanup's chances of success. Tenants' groups are discouraging members from taking part in the new effort, and officials say they do not think a public outreach program will overcome the distrust of residents. Some of the sharpest criticisms of the plan during the four-hour meeting in Lower Manhattan came from members of the expert panel itself. ''This is a very, very big mistake,'' said one member, Dr. Marc Wilkenfeld, of Columbia University Health Sciences. ''I can't in good conscience tell my neighbors to take any part in this.'' For nearly two years, the panel of experts has discussed ways of determining the geographic extent of indoor contamination from the Sept. 11 attack, and how to clean up apartments and offices that are found to still contain hazardous material. But last month, the agency abruptly changed course. An independent peer review panel rejected the agency's proposal to use slag wool, a type of insulating material found at the trade center, as a clue to determine how far the dust had spread from ground zero. ... Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Representative Jerrold Nadler, who both called for the creation of the technical panel in 2004, said they were disappointed with the final plan. They have asked the United States General Accountability Office to investigate the agency's ''failure to establish an effective, science-based testing and cleanup plan.'' (NYTimes, by Anthony DePalma, December 14, 2005)
N.Y. buildings to be tested for 9/11 toxic dust: EPA plan controversial, some want it to be mandatory ... NEW YORK - The federal Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it will go forward with a plan to test inside some lower Manhattan buildings for World Trade Center dust, despite criticism that the program does not go far enough. The final meeting of the EPA's technical panel, more than four years after the Sept. 11 attack, showed that distrust remains from the early days when then-EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman assured New Yorkers that the air was safe to breathe. ... The EPA official who has chaired the technical panel, Timothy Oppelt, said the plan "incorporates the best science available" But during Tuesday's meeting, other panel members, residents and labor advocates derided the plan for its geographic focus, its testing methodology and the fact that it is voluntary. "The plan excludes entire neighborhoods known to have been impacted by the dust cloud, the fires that burned for months and the barge waste transfer operations," said Catherine McVay-Hughes, the downtown community liaison to the panel.Oppelt said the EPA would start recruiting people to participate in the testing program early next year. ... Clinton said the EPA's testing plan "is incredibly frustrating and disappointing" because it does not expand the area tested earlier, or test workplaces or sites the agency has already cleaned. ... (AP/MSNBC, Dec. 14, 2005)
Afectados por el 9/11 rechazan plan de agencia ... (El Diario, JOSE ACOSTA/EDLP, 12/14/2005)
Clinton, Nadler Seek GAO Investigation on Cleanup Plan for World Trade Center ... NEW YORK--Rejecting the final report of an Environmental Protection Agency expert panel, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced Dec. 9 they will ask the Government Accountability Office to investigate the agency's "failure to establish an effective, science-based testing and cleanup plan" for indoor contamination from the collapse of the World Trade Center. Clinton said that EPA had let the panel's work bog down in "inertia," ignored the panel's input, and reverted to "the failed test-and-clean program" of 2002-2003. She noted that on Nov. 22, she had written EPA seeking a compromise plan but was answered by the announcement of the final plan a week later. "I believe we could have had a deal," she said. "The current plan is woefully short of what is needed." ... Citing a 2003 EPA inspector general report that charged the White House with interfering in the agency's response to the disaster, Clinton asserted that the Bush administration continues to show a "pattern of behavior" that she called "reckless" and "negligent." In a prepared statement, Clinton said that members of the expert panel had "worked in good faith" for 20 months to provide input for an EPA plan "that would properly address the serious health issues involved with indoor air contamination." But they have been faced with "stonewalling and delays," she said. EPA Cited OSHA Jurisdiction: Clinton, in response to a question, called it "ridiculous" for EPA to cite Occupational Safety and Health Administration jurisdiction as a reason not to include workplaces in the plan or to claim that a more extensive program would cost too much. "This is just another example of the wrong-headed priorities of the Bush administration," she said, pointing to the costs of tax cuts and the Iraq war. Clinton and Nadler said they will ask to GAO to study some of the same questions put before the expert panel, not to look into the reasons for EPA's actions in putting out the final report. ... (Occupational Safety and Health Reporter published by Bureau of National Affairs, December 14, 2005)
Editorial: Dust-up over plan ... ts been almost four years since terrorists struck the World Trade Center, sending it crashing down in a hurricane of dust. In the days following the attack, dust from the site blew across Manhattan, even reaching other boroughs. New Yorkers, including Staten Islanders, who complained of health effects, were largely pooh-poohed by then-EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman who assured New Yorkers that the air was safe to breathe. .... Many New Yorkers beg to differ with Mr. Oppelt. They have been joined by New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, whose district includes the trade center site, in deriding the plan. "The plan excludes entire neighborhoods known to have been impacted by the dust cloud, the fires that burned for months and the barge waste transfer operations," said Catherine McVay-Hughes, the downtown community liaison to the panel. Ms. Clinton agreed, adding that the EPA's testing plan does not expand the area tested earlier, or test workplaces or sites the agency has already cleaned. We must say that the EPA official's response to those charges sounded somewhat sophomoric. "We put a lot of hard work into this and believe that it's a plan that goes as far as the agency can go with its legal responsibilities and mandates and goes as far as the current scientific information will allow it to go," he said. Ms. Clinton and Mr. Nadler announced they will be requesting that the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, probe the EPA's action three years ago, and the current plan. We believe that such an investigation can't begin soon enough. (Staten Island Advance, December 14, 2005)
Groups rap test for WTC dust ... Downtown residents and Ground Zero rescue and recovery workers joined health experts yesterday in slamming a federal plan to test for hazardous dust as too limited and scientifically flawed. Members of the World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel accused the Environmental Protection Agency of junking the testing criteria that the agency asked them to provide."We went through 21 months of collegial and technical discussion, the essence of which is ignored in the final product," said panel member David Newman, an industrial hygienist. ...(NYDaily News, by Paul D. Colford, December 14, 2005)
Clinton, Nadler Seek GAO Investigation on Cleanup Plan for World Trade Center ... Clinton said that EPA had let the panel's work bog down in "inertia," ignored the panel's input, and reverted to "the failed test-and-clean program" of 2002-2003. She noted that on Nov. 22, she had written EPA seeking a compromise plan but was answered by the announcement of the final plan a week later. "I believe we could have had a deal," she said. "The current plan is woefully short of what is needed." ... (BNA Occupational Safety and Health Reporter ... December 14, 2005)
Residents want EPA to rework dust plan: Brooklyn, Chinatown left out of voluntary 9/11 clean up program ... FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Despite objections from downtown residents and workers — and members of its own panel of experts — the Environmental Protection Agency disbanded the panel yesterday and pressed ahead with a plan many feel is inadequate to test for toxic dust created by the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.Many people who live and work in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn believe asthma, bronchitis and other ailments are linked to the toxic plume of smoke that covered the area after the Twin Towers collapsed. They believe the remnants of that smoke are still coating their carpets and ventilation systems. ...(metro new york, by amy zimmer, Dec 13, 2005)
Nadler, Clinton Call for GAO Investigation into EPA's Post-9/11 Cleanup Efforts ... WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Congressman Jerrold Nadler today reiterated their call for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to undertake an investigation into the EPA's failure to establish an effective, science-based testing and clean-up plan for testing and cleaning indoor air contamination following the September 11th attacks. In a letter sent today to the GAO, Clinton and Nadler expressed their “serious concerns that EPA's response to September 11^th has not adequately protected public health and environment,” saying that “more than four years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, EPA's work to address the environmental health consequences of those attacks remains unfinished. We hoped that the Panel process would lead to answers for New Yorkers, but instead it has raised new questions that we believe that the GAO should investigate with urgency.” ... (News Release, Dec 13, 2005)
EPA goes ahead with plan to test apartments for World Trade Center dust ... NEW YORK -- The federal Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it will go forward with a plan to test some lower Manhattan apartments for World Trade Center dust, despite criticism from residents and its own expert panel that the program does not go far enough. The contentious final meeting of the EPA's technical review panel, more than four years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, provided evidence that distrust still remains from the early days when then-EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman assured New Yorkers that the air was safe to breathe. "It took all I had to come here this morning because I really don't feel that this is a useful exercise now," said panel member Jeanne Stillman, a professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. "I really feel like I've wasted my time in the last two years on this panel." ... But during a meeting at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, other panel members, downtown residents and labor advocates derided the plan for its narrow geographic focus, its testing methodology and the fact that it is voluntary. "The plan excludes entire neighborhoods known to have been impacted by the dust cloud, the fires that burned for months and the barge waste transfer operations," said Catherine McVay-Hughes, the downtown community liaison to the panel. ... Oppelt said the EPA would start recruiting people to participate in the testing program early in the new year. ... (NYNewsday, by Karen Matthews, December 13, 2005)
Still Dusted: Clinton, Nadler call for investigation of EPA response to 9-11 ... On Tuesday, local lawmakers requested an independent investigation into the way the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has responded to toxic dust--both the cleanup and the health effects--from the World Trade Center disaster. Senator Hillary Clinton and Congressman Jerrold Nadler sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, asking the non-partisan agency to probe EPA's "failure to establish an effective, science-based testing and clean-up plan" of 9-11-related contamination remaining downtown. For nearly two years, dozens of people who live and work in and around Lower Manhattan have been locked in a debate with the EPA over a proposal to test for lingering trade center dust. With the help of an advisory panel convened in response to pressure from Senator Clinton, the EPA had proposed analyzing only limited samples from Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. Last month, the agency scaled back its test and cleanup plan even more, sparking furor among residents, office workers, and others who have been pushing it to do the right thing. ... (Village Voice, by Kristen Lombardi, December 13, 2005)
Residents want EPA to rework dust plan: Brooklyn, Chinatown left out of voluntary 9/11 clean up program ... FINANCIAL DISTRICT -- Despite objections from downtown residents and workers -- and members of its own panel of experts — the Environmental Protection Agency disbanded the panel yesterday and pressed ahead with a plan many feel is inadequate to test for toxic dust created by the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.Many people who live and work in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn believe asthma, bronchitis and other ailments are linked to the toxic plume of smoke that covered the area after the Twin Towers collapsed. They believe the remnants of that smoke are still coating their carpets and ventilation systems. They hoped their concerns would be addressed by the panel of scientists and doctors — the World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel — convened nearly two years ago by the EPA to advise on a testing and cleanup plan. The panel suggested a comprehensive plan targeting not only residences, but also workplaces and areas such as Chinatown, the Lower East Side and parts of Brooklyn. But when the EPA released their final plan last month, the program included only residences below Canal Street that volunteered for testing. "I don't think anything we say will be taken into consideration by the EPA," said Micki Siegal de Hernandez, the labor liaison on the panel yesterday at its last public hearing. The final plan, she said, was crafted by the EPA behind closed doors. .... "If you're going to clean up apartment A or B, but not C, and not the ventilation system, then apartment C could re-contaminate the others," said Dave Newman, an industrial hygienist with the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. "This plan will be used to close the door on the existence of contamination from 9/11 and will just give false assurances." (Metro New York, by Amy Zimmer, DEC 13, 2005)
Advisors Deride 9-11 Clean-up Plan ... NEW YORK, NY, December 13, 2005 - Advisors to the federal Environmental Protection Agency say the EPA's latest plan to test for World Trade Center dust and contaminants is inadequate. And, at their final meeting today, many members of the expert panel say the EPA ignored their advice, wasted their time, and betrayed the public trust. REPORTER: Doctor Mark Wilkenfeld, of Columbia University, says the EPA's final plan is flawed because it does not require landlords to comply, it excludes offices, and it covers only the area below Canal Street. WILKENFELD: I don't think we can recommend that anyone participate, given the way it is, so it's kinda useless. ... (WNYC, December 13, 2005)
Brooklyn Residents Criticize EPA For Failing To Test For WTC Dust ... “There was never any outreach to Brooklyn. There was nothing,” Suzanne Mattei, head of the city's Sierra Club, says about the EPA strategy for cleaning up contaminated dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. She and dozens of other New Yorkers spoke out at the final meeting of the EPA panel charged with developing that plan. Many criticized its decision to continue testing only some areas of Lower Manhattan, not north of Canal Street or into Brooklyn. ... The Sierra Club issued a report Tuesday called "Don't Ignore Brooklyn" in which 130 Brooklynites were questioned about their contact with World Trade Center debris. The findings show 84 people saw dust in their neighborhood, and 56 of them had the dust or an odor in their home. The neighborhoods most affected were Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Red Hook. ... (NY1, December 13, 2005)
Activists Dust Off 9/11 Claim .. Potentially hazardous dust and smoke blanketed some Brooklyn neighborhoods on Sept. 11, 2001 -- even seeping into homes and offices — yet the government won't include the borough in a new indoor dust testing and cleaning program, environmental groups have charged. The Sierra Club survey, titled "Don't Ignore Brooklyn: Residents Report 9/11 Pollution Penetration in Brooklyn Neighborhoods and Homes," claims most Brooklynites saw dust in the streets. It concluded dust showered Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and to some degree, Red Hook. Park Slope also was affected and people in Coney Island reported smoke, dust or burnt paper. (NYPost, by Cathy Burke, December 11, 2005)
Dems dis WTC cleanup plan ... Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Jerrold Nadler yesterday said the federal government's new plan to clean World Trade Center dust from New York buildings stops far short of what's needed. ... Nadler and Clinton called on the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, to explore EPA's handling of the cleanup. The topic has a controversial history dating back to the days after the attack, when then EPA Director Christie Whitman pronounced the air around Ground Zero to be safe. EPA's inspector general eventually determined that the claim was made prematurely and under pressure from the White House. The latest cleanup effort, first released as a fallback plan in June, doesn't allow for the testing of workplaces, or for the cleaning of entire buildings. ... (NYDaily News, by Russ Buettner, December 10, 2005)
Lawmakers seek second probe of 9/11 air testing ... WASHINGTON -- New York lawmakers clamoring for greater testing of toxic ground zero dust said Friday they will seek a second inquiry to see if the government is sweeping the problem under the rug. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat whose district includes the World Trade Center site, will ask the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, to probe their concerns. Clinton and Nadler maintain the Environmental Protection Agency should conduct much more extensive testing work. The EPA's inspector general found fault with the first round of such testing, prompting a technical review and a second round of testing announced last month. The lawmakers said Friday that a second investigation is needed to determine if the EPA is repeating mistakes made the first time. Clinton said the EPA's new testing plan "is incredibly frustrating and disappointing" because it does not expand the area first tested, or test in workplaces or sites the agency has already cleaned. ... (NYNewsday, by Devlin Barrett, December 9, 2005)
Clinton, Nadler Push EPA For Stricter Air Testing Near WTC Site ... Local lawmakers are pushing for the Environmental Protection Agency to take a closer look at the air quality in Lower Manhattan. Last week, the EPA said it would re-test buildings near the World Trade Center site for any contaminants from 9/11. However, Senator Hillary Clinton and Congressman Jerrold Nadler, both New York Democrats, say the plan does not go far enough. ... (NY1, December 09, 2005)
Statement:
Lawmakers seek second probe of 9/11 air testing ... WASHINGTON -- New York lawmakers clamoring for greater testing of toxic ground zero dust said Friday they will seek a second inquiry to see if the government is sweeping the problem under the rug. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat whose district includes the World Trade Center site, will ask the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, to probe their concerns. Clinton and Nadler maintain the Environmental Protection Agency should conduct much more extensive testing work. The EPA's inspector general found fault with the first round of such testing, prompting a technical review and a second round of testing announced last month. The lawmakers said Friday that a second investigation is needed to determine if the EPA is repeating mistakes made the first time. Clinton said the EPA's new testing plan "is incredibly frustrating and disappointing" because it does not expand the area first tested, or test in workplaces or sites the agency has already cleaned. "The EPA is essentially throwing up its hands and washing them of this problem at the same time," said Clinton. ... "But even beyond that, the taxpayers in our country need to know whether the Environmental Protection Agency they pay for is doing its best to protect them, if it's doing anything to protect them," he said. ... (NYNewsday/AP, by Devlin Barrett, December 9, 2005)
Clinton, Nadler, Community Leaders Call on EPA to Fix World Trade Center Air Quality Testing & Clean-Up Plan: Call For GAO Investigation Into EPA Post-9/11 Lower Manhattan Clean-Up Efforts ... New York, NY -- Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Congressman Jerrold Nadler today joined with residents, workers and community advocates in calling on the EPA to revise its plan for testing and cleaning indoor air contamination following the September 11th attacks. At the press conference, Clinton and Nadler also announced that they would ask the U.S. General Accountability Office to investigate the EPA's failure to establish an effective, science-based testing and clean-up plan in response to the post-9/11 environmental disaster. "The plan announced by EPA last week was extremely disappointing. It ignores many of the concerns of residents and workers who experienced the fallout from the collapse of the World Trade Center first hand, as well as the advice of the independent experts who served on the panel," Senator Clinton said. "Over the last 20 months the panelists have worked in good faith to provide input for a plan that would properly address the serious health issues involved with indoor air contamination but have been faced with stonewalling and delays. EPA has an opportunity to change course and address the concerns that have been expressed repeatedly." ... On November 29th, the EPA - ignoring input from its own panel members, residents, workers and the community - announced their plan to test and clean indoor air spaces following the collapse of the World Trade Center. At the press conference, Senator Clinton, Representative Nadler and others called on the GAO to investigate the EPA's failure to establish an effective, science-based testing and clean-up plan in response to the post-9/11 environmental disaster. Clinton and Nadler also called on the EPA to put forward a revised plan incorporating a number of key principles, including but not limited to: .... (News Release, December 9, 2005)
Lawmakers Ask for Additional WTC Air Testing ... New York lawmakers clamoring for greater testing of toxic ground zero dust said Friday they will seek a second inquiry to see if the government is sweeping the problem under the rug. ...(1010 WINS, Dec 9, 2005)
To The Editor: E.P.A. plan flaws ... We knew we could count on the Downtown Express to smell a scam. The final Environmental Protection Agency "test and clean" program is a disaster for Lower Manhattan residents, workers and small business owners (news article, Dec. 2 - 8, "E.P.A. changes plan -- Clinton, Downtowners fume"). E.P.A.'s testing is rigged to systematically underestimate indoor contamination and will result in a plethora of inaccurate data and deceptive findings that will inevitably be spun as another false all-clear for Downtown neighborhoods.We applaud Ronda Kaysen and your editorial (Dec. 2 - 8, "E.P.A.'s new testing plan: Another in a long line of failures") for defending the truth, and the health of the people who live and work Downtown, especially the kids who are growing up here. ... (Downtown Express, December 9 - 15, 2005)
9/11 air aid got hoovered in scam ... The billions of dollars that blew into the city after 9/11 included a $129.7 million giveaway of free air conditioners, air purifiers, air filters and fancy vacuum cleaners, an ongoing Daily News investigation has found. Thanks to the loosely written rules that haunted much of the federal government's $21.4 billion disaster recovery effort, FEMA's clean-air program exploded into a massive scandal that has never been fully explored - until now.... (NYDaily News, December 7, 2005)
Connecticut company to aid in 9/11 cleanup job ... Windsor-based TRC Companies today announced it has won eight million dollars worth of contracts to help demolish a building damaged by the September 11th attacks, and some of the work will be done in Connecticut. Chief Operating Officer Chris Vincze says work to be done at Windsor and other in-state TRC locations includes "air modeling." That's predicting where the dust and debris will go when the building comes down. The building in question is Deutsche Bank at 130 Liberty Street. Debris from the World Trade Center broke windows and cut a 15-story gash in the front of the building. TRC provides technical assistance to energy, transportation, construction and other industries. It's ranked 37th on Fortune's list of the 100 fastest-growing companies. (Windsor-AP, Dec. 6, 2005)
Checking 9/11 Air: Landlord testing is inconsistent; some tenants monitor their own spaces ... At 90 Church St., landlord Boston Properties conducts regular tests to assess the air quality to reassure tenants that the building is clear of any lingering toxins released four years ago by the collapse of the World Trade Center. But down the street at 100 Church St., landlord Zar Realty does not do any monitoring and insists that its structure is clear. The disparity in how property owners deal with the aftermath of Sept. 11 is likely to continue. ..."The only thing you can do is, when you are negotiating a lease, require that the office is clean and shift the responsibilty to the landlord," says one downtown tenant who did not want to be named. Some landlords say they will keep monitoring air quality, despite the lack of government mandates. "We do continuous checkups, because we have to be able to assure tenants that their workspace is clean," says Richard Cohen, the president of Capital Properties, which own 111 Broadway and 115 Broadway at Thames Street, a landmarked property known as Trinity Centre. ... "It's extremely difficult, and often impossilbe, to get reliable information on what has been done and not done to buildings post-9/11," says David Newman, an industrial hygienist for the New York Committee for Occupational Saftey and Health, a nonprofit that promotes healthy work environments. The absence of stronger government oversight has also let questions linger. "the Fact that people are uneasy and there are so many unanswered questions means someone hasn't done their job correctly," Ms. Rosenthal says. (Crain's New York Business, by Julie Satow, December 5, 2005, p. 3)
EPA Unveils Its Final Plan for WTC Dust Testing Downtown ... The plan is a scaled-back version of one announced earlier this year that would also have included parts of Brooklyn and commercial spaces ... Oppelt said that workers who are worried about contaminants in commercial spaces must contact the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. "We just don't have authority when it comes to worker environments," he said. The announcement marks the end of the panel's work. Last spring, it recommended that the EPA sample residential and commercial spaces along the Brooklyn waterfront and below Canal Street to look for so-called "signature dust" from the trade center's collapse. That plan was rejected. ... Catherine McVay Hughes, the Downtown resident on the panel, called the new sampling method inadequate. She said that in addition to looking at WTC dust, the panel was charged with assessing unmet health needs of residents and workers, and that has not been done. "The panel process was shut down without completing its charge," she said. The plan also has come under fire from Sen. Hillary Clinton, who called the disbanding of the panel "unacceptable." She said the new plan failed to address the shortcomings of earlier EPA efforts. But Wendi Thomi, EPA community involvement coordinator, said money was a factor in limiting the testing area. "The sky is not the limit," she said. "We have to work within budgetary constraints." (Tribeca Trib, by Etta Sanders, December 2005)
Cash up in smoke: Clean-air aid went all over ... Most of the FEMA millions used to help city residents buy clean air equipment to deal with the noxious residue of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was spent in neighborhoods far from Ground Zero, a Daily News computer analysis shows. Satellite photos indicate that the horrific plume flew across the East River to downtown Brooklyn, thinning and rising as it continued on a southeasterly course toward Manhattan Beach, Breezy Point in Queens, then out to sea. But people far from that route - in the Bronx, upper Manhattan, Queens, and on Staten Island - gobbled up big portions of the clean air goodies, supposedly to cleanse their homes of World Trade Center soot. ... The FEMA data, obtained by The News under the federal Freedom of Information Act, doesn't show whether people picked up their government checks after they were approved, though other records suggest that nearly all did. ... Residents of lower Manhattan, for example, collected 14% of the $131 million FEMA says was paid out in the air program. But the rest of the results documented how participation did not follow the flight of the unhealthy ash from Ground Zero. ... (NYDaily News, This series was reported and written by the Daily News Investigative Team: RUSS BUETTNER, HEIDI EVANS, ROBERT GEARTY, BRIAN KATES, GREG B. SMITH, and Assistant Managing Editor RICHARD T. PIENCIAK, December 7, 2005)
9/11 air aid got hoovered in scam ... The billions of dollars that blew into the city after 9/11 included a $129.7 million giveaway of free air conditioners, air purifiers, air filters and fancy vacuum cleaners, an ongoing Daily News investigation has found. Thanks to the loosely written rules that haunted much of the federal government's $21.4 billion disaster recovery effort, FEMA's clean-air program exploded into a massive scandal that has never been fully explored - until now. A News investigative series this week has revealed how 9/11 cash went to big businesses that weren't at risk of closing, mob-connected construction companies, and pork-barrel projects with little connection to Ground Zero. ... The program eventually paid for 464,931 pieces of equipment at a cost to taxpayers of $129.7 million - all of it taken from the recovery aid Washington sent to help New York. (NYDaily News, December 7, 2005)
A feeding frenzy for FEMA funds ... New Yorkers by the tens of thousands received free air conditioners, air purifiers and other clean-air devices in such an illogical pattern that the toxic plume from the smoldering World Trade Center would have had to travel like a wild tornado, arbitrarily touching down here and there throughout the city. The size and scope of abuse in the FEMA-funded program dwarfs any fraud and misuse allegations that have surfaced in disaster aid programs for hurricanes in Florida, wildfires in California and floods in Detroit, according to a four-month Daily News investigation of the federal government's $21.4 billion program to help New York recover from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The dreadfully flawed program ultimately allowed every New Yorker, if they so desired, to obtain free air conditioners, air purifiers, air filters and vacuum cleaners - up to a total value of $1,750. .... Keith Knight says there was nothing deceptive about his clean-air Web site. ... The program was designed to replace clean air equipment that had been ruined by 9/11 airborne residue and to enable those most affected by a debris trail to clean up their homes. Instead, air conditioners and the other devices were awarded to people living in buildings with central air, in buildings where the windows did not open and in locales where scientific evidence shows there was no environmental impact. FEMA spokesman James McIntyre defended the program, saying it clearly helped those affected by the Trade Center dust, even though many filed bogus claims. "It showed people will take advantage of a situation if they are put in a position that they can," he said. "We try to do business on good faith. I can't speak to people who made dishonest claims just because their borough was eligible." When FEMA expanded its reimbursement program and began doling out money first - to those who said they couldn't afford to wait for reimbursement - inspectors discovered recipients who'd handed in store receipts, then returned their unopened goods for refunds. If they could only get a store credit, many exchanged their clean-air tools for giant TVs and other luxury items. ... As to be expected, large numbers of residents in lower Manhattan collected federal checks for the equipment, which came with purpose of helping residents deal with Ground Zero dust in their homes. In Manhattan's 10 most southern zip codes, 36% of all households were approved for the equipment, meaning that a total of 20,254 people were authorized to receive $19 million worth of clean-air devices, according to a News computer analysis of program data supplied by FEMA. Figures obtained by The News as part of its investigation reveal that participation in the clean-air program was much higher than previously reported. According to data supplied by the state Department of Labor, which administered the giveaway along with FEMA: Overall, the program consumed $129.7million in federal 9/11 disaster recovery funds. FEMA data puts the total at $131 million. The program had been expected to cost $15 million. The program served 118,591 New Yorkers; it had been expected to serve 5,000. By category, New Yorkers received 83,655 air conditioners at a cost of $37.7million. Some $43 million in taxpayer funds went to pay for 119,872 air purifiers.Another $30.7 million went for 164,794 vacuum cleaners, both High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) and wet/dry varieties. And $18.3 million more was dedicated to 96,609 air filters. APPLICATIONS SPIKED Like the problems documented by The News in many other 9/11 disaster recovery aid programs, the air device giveaway had loose operating rules that helped promote abuse.Local politicians complained that too few people were aware of the program, so deadlines were extended and public service announcements appeared in ethnic community newspapers to tout the program. Then, clean air device companies began pushing the free-equipment program aggressively, using advertising and assisting applicants with their paperwork.The application rate spiked as the first deadline, Sept. 30, 2002, approached. The program was extended to Nov. 30, 2002, which caused a huge increase in applications. The program was extended a third time, until Jan. 30, 2003. .... (NYDaily News, December 6, 2005)
Checking 9/11 Air: Landlord Testing Is Inconsistent; Some Tenants Monitor Their Own Spaces ... At 90 Church St., landlord Boston Properties conducts regular tests to assess the air quality to reassure tenants that the building is clear of any lingering toxins released four years ago by the collapse of the World Trade Center.But down the street at 100 Church St., landlord Zar Realty does not do any monitoring and insists that its structure is clear. The disparity in how property owners deal with the aftermath of Sept. 11 is likely to continue. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would perform limited monitoring of downtown air quality, focusing on residential buildings."This plan will be a fantastic failure," says Linda Rosenthal, an aide to Rep. Jerold Nadler, a Democrat who represents lower Manhattan. She says the lack of government oversight leaves commercial property owners with no incentive to test their buildings. ... Many commercial buildings were scrubbed clean and returned to use. A few towers were left uninhabitable. Experts warn that renovation and cleanup must be done with extreme care because such activity can release toxins. A demolition plan for the Deutsche Bank building was only recently approved by the EPA. Other buildings remain partially inhabited and are being cleaned up as tenants and landlords renovate. "The only thing you can do is, when you are negotiating a lease, require that the office is clean and shift the responsibility to the landlord," says one downtown tenant who did not want to be named. Some landlords say they will keep monitoring air quality, despite the lack of government mandates. "We do continuous checkups, because we have to be able to assure tenants that their workspace is clean," says Richard Cohen, the president of Capital Properties, which owns 111 Broadway and 115 Broadway at Thames Street, a landmarked property known as Trinity Centre. 2003 report: Zar Realty took a different approach at 100 Church St., which was tested after the attacks and deemed clean, according to Richard Seltzer, a lawyer speaking on behalf of Zar. But a 2003 air-quality study reviewed by Crain's found that "World Trade Center dust and hazardous substances are present in the building." The report, by R.J. Lee Group, a consulting firm that also tested the Deutsche Bank building, said toxic materials "have affected the current and future tenability of the building." ...100 Church St. is less than half occupied, and Mr. Seltzer says Zar had been in negotiations to sell the property to the Chetrit Group. Those talks fell through, and Zar has begun marketing the vacant offices to potential tenants, he says. The main tenant is the New York City Law Department, which occupies 300,000 square feet. It regularly monitors the air quality of its offices; the tests have found no contaminants. "I'm not surprised the law department does its own testing," says Jeff Traub, the president of Traub & Traub, a law firm with 2,000 square feet of office space at 100 Church. "I would love to test my offices, but I can't afford it." He says that he is looking to move. Building safety watchdogs say the lack of a lead government agency hinders post-Sept. 11 environmental monitoring efforts. "It is extremely difficult, and often impossible, to get reliable information on what has been done and not done to buildings post-9/11," says David Newman, an industrial hygienist for the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, a nonprofit that promotes healthy work environments. ...(Crain's New York Business, By Julie Satow, December 5, 2005)
Towers fell, mob schemes began: How organized crime divvied up Ground Zero work ... Down at Ground Zero, the Luchese family, the Colombos, the Gambinos and even the New Jersey-based DeCavalcantes all made out, according to court documents, government records and interviews. They divvied up Ground Zero the way the mob carved up Las Vegas in the old days. Unbeknown to Monchik and his business associates, all of the calls were being tracked by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau's office. The DA had been looking into corruption in the asbestos removal industry and happened to run into the blizzard of phone calls in the hours following the terrorist attacks. In documents obtained by The News, investigator Thomas Coyne described Monchik as an "earner" -- a guy who funnels payoff cash to the underworld. Over the years, Monchik made millions as a consultant scaring up hefty government contracts for mob-connected companies, investigators say. Monchik made more calls throughout the 12th and 13th, records show — one to another Luchese associate/subcontractor and five more to the major contracting executive he had called on 9/11, including a conference call with an official at one of the New Jersey-based asbestos removal companies that Monchik worked for as a consultant. He then made what investigators characterize as the most important call of all — to the acting boss of the Luchese crime family, Louis (Louie Bagels) Daidone, a gangster who once held down a suspected informant so he could be shot in both eyes while a dead canary was stuffed into his mouth. According to Coyne, the series of calls immediately following the Trade Center attacks show that Monchik was helping the mob divide up the work that would soon be available at Ground Zero. "Monchik coordinated with other Luchese associates who were 'earners' ... to ensure that Monchik and other Luchese associates received lucrative shares of the Ground Zero cleanup contracts," Coyne wrote. "Monchik followed organized crime protocol of informing the acting boss, Daidone, of Monchik's Ground Zero dealings in order to receive Daidone's approval or rejection." The call to Daidone, Coyne charged, was related to "the division of work between individuals and corporations associated with the Luchese organized crime family." Sources close to the investigation say Monchik is cooperating with prosecutors on the construction corruption but is not spilling about the mob. Although it is not known precisely what Monchik and his gangster associates discussed, it appears that his phone activity paid off handsomely. At least four of the companies Monchik called in those crucial first hours wound up with millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded work related to the 9/11 cleanup. All told, The News investigation found that at least $63.2 million of the $458 million FEMA-funded Ground Zero cleanup went to companies accused of mob ties. Like the rats that infested the ruins of Ground Zero for a time, gangster-related companies were prevalent removing debris from inside the cleanup zone, wiping toxic dust off Trade Center artifacts and decontaminating apartments at Battery Park City. The News has documented that an alleged mob associate wound up as general superintendent for one of the four major contractors hired to supervise the cleanup, a powerful position that investigators say allowed him to steer work to gangster pals. Several firms were later accused of paying off corrupt officials of a union infiltrated by the Mafia to let them use cheaper nonunion help. Investigators found mob figures visiting Ground Zero, too. Tommy Cappa, a Colombo crime family associate, was put on the payroll of an asbestos removal company doing Sept. 11 cleanup while still on probation for his role in a 1991 mob war murder conspiracy. Documents show he was paid $200 a week on the books, but he proclaimed on tape that he pocketed 20% of every job the company won. At one point, investigators watched Cappa meet with Monchik at Ground Zero, then drive off in a white 2002 Jaguar registered to Cappa's wife. At another point, Cappa recounted that he'd met with another gangster, prohibited by probation rules requiring that he avoid organized crime figures. Allegations also surfaced that steel from Ground Zero was being illegally diverted to a New Jersey transfer station. City investigators wound up buying Global Positioning System units for debris removal trucks to make sure they were going where they were supposed to go. LOOSENING THE RULES: Many subcontractors did exemplary work, sacrificing a great deal in a community-spirited moment. But the emergency nature of the Ground Zero cleanup prompted the same disregard for customary business practices that The News investigation has uncovered in other aspects of the 9/11 recovery aid program. The need for speed determined policy. Government traditionally tries to protect taxpayers by making subcontractors compete for jobs with secret bids. Because of the urgency of the Ground Zero cleanup, the city invoked emergency powers, exempting the Department of Design & Construction from competitive bidding, except where it was practical. Because it was never feasible, it never occurred. "That was really seat-of-pants sort of stuff," said one city official involved in the process.Michael Richman, a vice president for one of the subcontractors hired to haul debris, stated in an affidavit filed as part of a related civil lawsuit: "There were no written contracts on this job. Due to the emergency, people began working first and discussed billing later." Referring to a 30-day lull in registration rules for trucking companies, another official who wished to remain anonymous explained: "The licensing regulations went by the board on Sept. 11 because we wanted to get that stuff out of there."(NY Daily News, This series was reported and written by the Investigative Team: RUSS BUETTNER, HEIDI EVANS, ROBERT GEARTY, BRIAN KATES, GREG B. SMITH, and Assistant Managing Editor, RICHARD T. PIENCIAK, December 5, 2005)
Exposed: Map of Ground Zerp spoils: Where the money went to clear Trade Center debris ... Within days of the 9/11 attacks, the city divided debris removal work around Ground Zero into quadrants. Four construction managers were hired.Almost immediately, the city issued $10 million retainer checks to each of the Big Four: AMEC Construction, Bovis Lend Lease, Tully Construction and Turner Construction. Agreements between the city and the Big Four, as well as with subcontractors, were handled on a pay-as-you-go basis. Without competitive bidding, the four managers picked whomever they wanted to get the job done. Of the $458 million in federal 9/11 aid spent on debris removal, AMEC got $65.8 million, Bovis $277.2 million, Tully $76 million and Turner $39 million.The city also spent money to potentially save money, hiring four anti-corruption monitors to ferret out fraud. Usually companies swallow the costs of such preventive medicine, but in this case, taxpayers footed the bill."Everybody was worrying about all the money pouring into this thing," a city official recalled. Thacher Associates, Stier Anderson, Design Strategies and Getnick & Getnick were hired as monitors. In many cases, they discovered fraud and prevented losses. In other cases, investigators say, the mob and corrupt contractors raided the 9/11 money pot. AMEC CONSTRUCTION: When London-based AMEC Construction showed up at Ground Zero as one of the Big Four hired to run the cleanup job, the firm's U.S. subsidiary already was ensnared in government corruption probes in Missouri and California. AMEC still got the 9/11 job.AMEC's No. 1 guy on the ground was Vice President Leo DiRubbo, a reputed associate of the Luchese crime family. At Ground Zero, it was DiRubbo's responsibility on behalf of the Luchese crime family "to ensure labor peace between organized crime and contractors," according to investigators' reports obtained by The News. AMEC spokeswoman Lauren Gallagher said DiRubbo doesn't work for the company anymore and that AMEC was unaware of the allegations contained in the reports. BIG APPLE/SAFEWAY: AMEC hired Big Apple Wrecking, owned by Harold Greenberg, a reputed mob associate whose firm was barred from government work because of his convictions in bid-rigging and bribery conspiracies. Weeks into the cleanup, Thacher Associates realized Greenberg was on-site and kicked Big Apple off the job, though the firm still collected $203,000. It didn't end there. Safeway Environmental, a firm that investigators allege was controlled by Greenberg, was still at Ground Zero. Safeway got $3.7 million for asbestos and mold removal, and another $3 million to help clean up a severely damaged office tower at 130 Liberty St. Aware of Greenberg's involvement with Safeway, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. came up with an unusual arrangement — Safeway could stay, as long as Greenberg didn't benefit financially. Stefan Pryor, LMDC president, said the agency wanted "to ensure [Greenberg] has no role. ... It is a massive project and Safeway has a small piece of that." He emphasized, "The city had not found that the company was irresponsible. The problem was with Greenberg." Still, sources say, Safeway leased its equipment from Greenberg, rented office space from Greenberg, owed Greenberg a loan. Greenberg also was a Safeway consultant on several jobs.Greenberg did not return calls seeking comment. Safeway denies the alleged ties to the mob. MAZZOCCHI WRECKING: AMEC also hired Mazzocchi Wrecking. A few months after 9/11, the N.J. Division of Gaming Enforcement charged that three members of the DeCavalcante crime family worked for Mazzocchi. The city Department of Investigation determined Mazzocchi "had potentially overbilled the city" for Ground Zero work. The DOI forwarded the information to the city Department of Design and Construction but the probe was closed without prosecution. Mazzocchi, which denies mob ties, earned a total of $16 million from two of the major contractors. Owner Grace Mazzocchi said she was unaware of the three employees' alleged mob ties and noted that they no longer worked there. She also said the DOI investigation stemmed from a money dispute and that Mazzocchi was underpaid for its Ground Zero work. CIVETTA COUSINS and YONKERS CONTRACTING: Civetta won a $1.2 million contract at Ground Zero, and Yonkers won three deals worth $14.5 million. Not long afterward, prosecutors alleged both firms had for years been making regular payments to corrupt officials of Local 15 of the Operating Engineers — a local that prosecutors say long has been infiltrated by the Colombo crime family. Both firms deny mob involvement and have not been charged with wrongdoing. PETER SCALAMANDRE & SONS: In the middle of the 9/11 job, owners of the AMEC-hired subcontractor Peter Scalamandre & Sons, of Freeport, pleaded guilty to laundering $1 million through subcontractors. Prosecutors charged that some cash wound up in the hands of the Luchese crime family. Scalamandre was kicked off the job and was paid $2.8 million. BREEZE NATIONAL: AMEC hired Breeze National, a Brooklyn demolition firm owned by Toby Romano, a reputed Luchese family associate convicted in 1988 of bribing inspectors to overlook health violations on asbestos-removal jobs. Breeze earned $3.9 million. SEASONS CONTRACTING: Turner Construction hired Seasons Contracting, owned by Salvatore Carucci, a reputed Luchese associate who was indicted in 1995 on charges of using a bogus minority-owned business to illegally win government work. Charges were later dismissed because of a flawed indictment. Seasons was paid $26.7 million. LAQUILA CONSTRUCTION: The firm is barred from doing city and federal work, and its president was indicted last December for payoffs to mob-infiltrated union locals. Laquila was paid $125,000. ASBESTOS CONTAINMENT SERVICES: Luchese associate Allen Monchik was a consultant to this firm, which won a small, $95,250 city contract to clean up asbestos on the streets and sidewalks around Ground Zero. A principal of the company has been indicted in a 9/11 ghost-employee scheme. SPECIALTY SERVICE CONTRACTING: A firm tied to Monchik won a $3 million Port Authority contract to clean off WTC artifacts. Prosecutors allege the firm charged taxpayers for ghost employees, materials not used and work not performed. TERMON CONSTRUCTION: Gambino associate Noel Modica negotiated a "loan" for Termon from Monchik, according to investigators' documents. Termon was paid $2.2 million to clean asbestos from Battery Park City. Termon has not been charged with wrongdoing. ... (Daily News, by the Daily News Investigative Team: Russ Buettner, Heidi Evans, Robert Gearty, Brian Kates, Greg B. Smith and Assistant Managing Editor Richard T. Pienciak, December 4, 2005)
The mob's ghost workers and overbilling: Cleanup scams reigned ... In September 2003, John Micali was on the payroll of a contractor hired to remove asbestos from Ground Zero artifacts — the crushed fire trucks, the trashed furniture, the twisted steel. Micali was listed as a $58,000-a-year employee of Specialty Service Contracting, paid by the Port Authority to clean World Trade Center artifacts at JFK's Hangar 17. There was one serious problem with this arrangement — John Micali was actually in a federal prison cell in Brooklyn. Investigators say the scam was the height of post-9/11 gangster chutzpah.At 6 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2003, the FBI busted Micali as part of a gang that burglarized banks, identifying him as a mob associate who planned to marry the daughter of Louis (Louie Bagels) Daidone, acting boss of the Luchese crime family. Micali — who sports a tattoo on his back that reads "Kill all the police with a shot in the head" — once used a hammer to beat a man who owed the gang money, prosecutors charged. While those details were sufficient to persuade a judge to keep Micali behind bars, they were not enough to get the PA to stop paying for his "work" at Hangar 17. Sources said that while behind bars, he remained on the payroll for weeks. Micali's magical ability to be in two places at once is illustrative of how the mob operated behind the scenes after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Micali was not alone. Investigators discovered that another Specialty worker had apparently found a way to be in three places at once.The worker was listed on payroll records as working the same shift on the same days from Sept. 16-24, 2001, at three different job sites around Ground Zero. That discovery inspired investigators to closely monitor Specialty's other work at the Hangar 17 job.Besides the ghost-employee scam, the mob relied on a catalog of schemes to rip off 9/11 funds from taxpayers: price gouging, falsified record keeping, overbilling and the use of tainted asbestos samples to keep the clock running on a major decontamination job, according to a four-month Daily News investigation into the $21.4 billion 9/11 federal disaster recovery aid package. KEY PLAYER: Prosecutors say the man at the center of many of these scams was Allen Monchik, a twice-convicted felon who specialized in credit card fraud. Working in a wide-ranging probe under Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, investigators say Monchik held a secret interest in Specialty Service Contracting. At Hangar 17, the $3 million artifacts cleanup was overseen by PA engineer Tony Fontanetta, a longtime Monchik friend who, authorities charged, regularly accepted Mets tickets, cash and other bribes. It is inside Hangar 17, investigators say, that the "presence" of ghost employees was most profound. On March 4, 2003, an intercepted conversation between Monchik and Fontanetta laid out how the alleged quid pro quo worked. Monchik said he had four asbestos handlers on the payroll at the hangar. Fontanetta: "Well, you know what you do? Make yours five, okay? Put your number in, it'll come in a little higher than our numbers, but you can say you anticipated five because of the unknown." Fontanetta said he'd possibly be getting more work for Monchik "down at the World Trade," then added, "I appreciate your consideration, eh, Al?" "Ten-four," Monchik replied. Six days later, Monchik and another corrupt PA employee, Mark Jakubek, discussed explanations for a nonexistent security worker at Hangar 17. Monchik: "I'll call it 'a guy on standby,' one person." Jakubek: "I could say, you know, looking over your own equipment, making sure your equipment is safe. That kind of thing ... I think I would be able to work with that." Monchik: "I mean, it sounds like a good song and dance here." The men shared a laugh. In yet another intercepted conversation, on March 19, 2003, Fontanetta told Monchik, "What we're gonna do is we're gonna make an entry on the T&M [time & materials] sheet, so there will be an indication that he was there." Monchik: "I mean, it's all coming out of the Port's money one way or the other, so why shouldn't it just look the same for the day and tell him don't bring the guy in?" Based on the recorded conversations and other evidence, Morgenthau's office and the PA inspector general believe taxpayers were charged for materials never used, and that Specialty tried to charge for extras like an American flag and cameras at Hangar 17 and billed non-9/11 work to the hangar job. Two other schemes involved asbestos removal in the Ground Zero area, according to documents obtained by The News. Specialty was hired with FEMA funds to remove the substance from 90 West St., an office building heavily damaged in the attacks that was to be turned into luxury condos. Even before they started the job, Monchik and his partner, Gerard Dennis, planned on billing for costs above what they bid. As Dennis put it, "We're gonna bang the s--- out of these guys on extras." On May 9, 2003, Monchik was overheard on the phone discussing how to "rip and skip" at 90 West St. In essence, Specialty would remove asbestos-covered pipes while skipping the usual — and costly — rules for safe abatement. Prosecutors say Specialty did this by deliberately beginning the West St. job a week before it told the city, enabling them to avoid scrutiny. It also allowed them to bill for more pipe than they were actually ripping out of the building. "So, let's say they say 6 feet of pipe," Monchik was overheard telling a subordinate. "You write up ‘10 feet.' You know what I mean? On the pipe." Also, investigators watched as Specialty workers loaded trucks at the 90 West St. job with bags of asbestos, then drove out to Long Island to dump the materials illegally, according to a written report about the probe. By the spring of 2003, prosecutors allege, another mob family representative was on the Ground Zero scene: Gambino associate Noel Modica, who was heard resolving a money dispute for yet another subcontractor, Termon Construction of Brooklyn, documents show. Termon, which has not been charged with wrongdoing, was paid $2.2 million to wipe down Trade Center dust from apartments in Battery Park City. Monchik and Modica worked out a deal that May where Termon would "borrow" back some of the money it owed to Specialty — a way to cover up a pass-through payment, according to investigators' reports. A Gambino informant, Michael DiLeonardo, has described Modica as a mob messenger boy who helped the underworld hide machine guns and conducted surveillance at a hotel where jurors were staying during the 1992 trial of the late mob boss John Gotti. TAINTED SAMPLES: In the fall of 2003, prosecutors say, the 9/11 cleanup corruption reached a new low. Robert Leary, a PA employee monitoring Specialty's payroll at Hangar 17, had quite an incentive to keep the contract going; Prosecutors charge he'd been regularly receiving $50 cash for each ghost employee he certified. The only problem was that tests of the Trade Center artifacts were starting to come back negative for asbestos. Leary allegedly acquired an asbestos-filled sample from a Specialty cleanup job at JFK's Delta Terminal and placed it in with the Hangar 17 samples. Leary was arrested May 12, 2004, and charged with tampering with public records and falsifying business records. In December 2004, 23 others were charged with defrauding the PA and other governmental agencies on several asbestos-removal jobs, including the 9/11 work at Hangar 17. Those charged included Fontanetta, Jakubek and two other PA workers, along with Specialty and two additional asbestos firms. The cases are pending; Monchik is now cooperating with authorities. Fred Hafetz, attorney for Specialty, noted the company has asked a judge to dismiss the case. He declined further comment. (NYDaily News, This series was reported and written by the Daily News Investigative Team: RUSS BUETTNER, HEIDI EVANS, ROBERT GEARTY, BRIAN KATES, GREG B. SMITH and Assistant Managing Editor, RICHARD T. PIENCIAK, December 4, 2005)
New furor over 9/11 EPA blasted for nixing cleanup ... Despite the smoke and debris that blanketed Brooklyn after the Sept. 11 attacks, a high-ranking federal official said "it wasn't apparent" Kings County got enough toxic dust to warrant a cleanup. The Environmental Protection Agency ditched plans last week to include Brooklyn in a test-and-cleanup program for contaminants from the smoldering World Trade Center site. ... After elected officials protested, a 30-building Brooklyn survey had been included in May as part of the plan - but the EPA withdrew after it couldn't agree with experts on a way to distinguish World Trade Center toxins from regular pollution. "It's not saying there couldn't have been light amounts of dust in other areas," Oppelt told the Daily News, "but our view is we need to focus on areas where there is a lot of dust." ... "I was in Brooklyn on Sept. 11," said Catherine Hughes, the panel's community representative. "It snowed debris ... and fumes from the fire blew for several months to Brooklyn." Hughes added she and other panel members were "distressed" at the final version of the cleanup - which mirrors an earlier sweep in which only Manhattan buildings below Canal St. were eligible for testing. Inspectors in the $7 million EPA cleanup will look for asbestos, lead, man-made vitreous fibers and hydrocarbons for residents and businesses that didn't participate in the first cleanup. It could be finished by August, Oppelt said. ...(NYDaily News, by Hugh Son, December 4, 2005)
E.P.A. changes plan -- Clinton, Downtowners fume ... The announcement was met with outrage from Senator Hillary Clinton, who helped establish the program, and the scientists, health experts and community members who advised E.P.A. ...For the panelists who dedicated close to two years of their time to the effort, E.P.A.'s decision comes as a disappointment. "They didn't take our advice," said panelist Morton Lippmann, a professor of environmental medicine at the Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine at New York University. "It was wasted effort. We were volunteering our time and effort and our advice was ignored." By not following the advice of a panel of scientists, environmentalists and health officials, E.P.A. has devised an ineffectual program, say critics. "Doing what they're doing, the data will be uninterruptible," said Lippmann.The program will test units for asbestos, man-made vitreous fiber, lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and clean if levels exceed an E.P.A. threshold. Commercial property owners can volunteer communal spaces and their ventilation systems for testing and cleanup, as well. No office spaces will be tested. In what came as a body blow to those close to the cleanup effort, the agency also announced its decision to dismantle the panel. ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, December 2 - 8, 2005)
Editorial: E.P.A.'s new testing plan: another in a long line of failures ... The evidence that Downtowners are living or working in places still dangerously contaminated from the World Trade Center is not there. It may very well be that our apartments and offices are safe again -- but we don't know that. There are additional tests the E.P.A. could do to give us not certainty, but more assurances. That's what responsible members of the panel, Clinton, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler and others have been calling for continuously. Nadler, who has led the post-9/11 environmental charge for four years, calls the E.P.A.'s latest announcement a "sham plan." He is right, and is not the only one to find serious flaws in the plan. The independent peer review panel said essentially the same thing about the plan a few months ago, couching their language in diplomatic scientese. ... The E.P.A. plans to approve the sham, dissolve the panel and start to wash their hands of their mess Dec. 13. Maybe they're hoping for a "Brownie, heck of a job" note from the president too. Their job is not done here or in Brooklyn. The best way to stop the charade from proceeding is to embarrass the bureaucrats by protesting in large, large numbers -- there is likely to be a rally outside the last panel meeting, at One Bowling Green 9 a.m. Dec. 13 -- and then to keep up the pressure on the E.P.A. for environmental protection. (Downtown Express, December 2 - 8, 2005)
L.M.D.C. funds emergency team for Deutsche building ... The Community Emergency Response Team in Battery Park City is being expanded to cover the neighborhood near 130 Liberty St., an office tower that was contaminated and damaged in the World Trade Center disaster and is now being demolished. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which owns and is dismantling the former Deutsche Bank building, enlisted the CERT team as part of an effort to put community concerns about emergency response plans to rest. The corporation gave the team nearly $48,000 that will be disseminated through the city's Office of Emergency Management to train an additional 50 members, purchase more equipment and supplies and educate the community. ... The team will begin outreach and training new members after the holidays, according to Sidney Baumgarten, the team chief. It intends to contact every resident in the affected area and work with the L.M.D.C. on its emergency action plan. Baumgarten, once deputy mayor to Abraham Beame, now runs an emergency preparedness company. .. Some residents wonder if money would be better spent on professional responders instead of volunteer groups. "Empowering the community sounds nice on paper," said Andy Jurinko, a 125 Cedar St. resident. ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, December 2 - 8, 2005)

NOVEMBER

E.P.A. Changes Cleanup Plans Near Ground Zero ... Abandoning an ambitious cleanup plan for Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, federal environmental officials said yesterday that they would clean, at no cost, any apartment south of Canal Street with unacceptable levels of contaminants from the collapse of the World Trade Center. The Environmental Protection Agency said that under the scaled-down program, all residents south of Canal can ask to have their apartments tested for four types of hazardous materials. Those where contaminants exceed benchmark levels set by the E.P.A. will be cleaned free, officials said. No workplaces will be tested, and Brooklyn will be excluded altogether. The revised plan represents the failure of a technical panel of scientists, local officials and community representatives to agree on the final details of the original, more comprehensive plan. After nearly two years of often rancorous debate and negotiation, the panel was stalled. More than four years have passed since the terrorist attack on the twin towers. Although most offices and commercial spaces are left out of the new plan, commercial landlords can ask to have common areas and ventilation systems tested. ... The panel's abrupt end, and the agency's limited test-and-clean plan, seemed to please almost no one. "The plan ignores many of the recommendations made by the World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel over the last 20 months," Senator Clinton said in a statement. She called the decision to disband the panel unacceptable and said it had not even begun to identify unmet public health needs associated with the aftermath of Sept. 11. "I will be fighting to ensure that the panel completes this important task," she said. Downtown residents and some members of the expert panel criticized the agency for ignoring many of their concerns and for coming up with a plan that will not ensure the safety of their neighborhood. "It looks like the E.P.A. is giving residents a second chance at a plan that was neither comprehensive nor acceptable in the first place," said Catherine McVay Hughes, who lives a few blocks from ground zero and is a community liaison to the technical panel. ... (NYTimes, by Anthony DePalma, November 30, 2005)
Tests to target dust from 9/11 ... Homes and businesses in lower Manhattan will be tested for dust and other contaminants released on 9/11, the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday. The $7 million program will target the area south of Canal St. and west of Pike and Allen Sts. It will include a cleanup of spaces found to have excessive levels of asbestos, lead, manmade vitreous fibers - such as Fiberglas - and hydrocarbons typically removed from the atmosphere through precipitation. ... (NYDaily News, by Paul D. Colford, November 30, 2005)
EPA's WTC dust testing plan outrages residents, groups: More of Manhattan, part of Brooklyn should be included, they say, for fear of health risks ... MANHATTAN -- A coalition of Lower Manhattan residents and labor groups were outraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plan for testing and cleaning toxic dust deposited by the plume of smoke after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. ... "We haven't adequately addressed the health needs of our community and workers," said Catherine McVay Hughes, the community liaison to the World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel of scientists and local officials convened by the EPA almost two years ago to advise them on the cleanup. ... "There are a lot of gray areas that haven't been worked out," McVay Hughes said. "The plan the EPA is offering remains scientifically unsound. It creates so many impediments to finding contamination that we wonder if any cleanups will result." ... (Metro New York, by Amy Zimmer, Nov, 30, 2005)
EPA Plans to Test 9-11 Dust ... The Environmental Protection Agency has offered its final plan for testing dust left from the World Trade Center collapse in Lower Manhattan. New York lawmakers including Senator Hillary Clinton and Congressman Jerald Nadler, derided the plan as too little too late. Nadler has called for a more expanded testing area, and more extensive testing of buildings hit with the blowing clouds of dust. The EPA's review panel on air pollution from the Trade Center was created after lawmakers complained the agency prematurely assured New Yorkers it posed no health threat. The EPA intends to end the review panel's work next month. (WNYC, by Kathryn Herzog, November 30, 2005)
EPA plan to test dust from NYC terrorist attack draws flak from senators ... Previous cleanup efforts for apartments occurred in 2002 and 2003, but residents and others have voiced concerns about their effectiveness and the possibility of recontamination. (Waste News, Nov. 30, 2005)
What, Too Busy Screwing Up New Orleans?: EPA abandons big cleanup plans near New York City's Ground Zero ... (Grist, Nov. 30, 2005)
9/11 Air Testing Called 'Too Little, Too Late' ... New York lawmakers including Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, both Democrats, had criticized past EPA testing efforts and demanded more thorough scientific work. They said the plan announced Tuesday fell well short of what was needed, particularly because the agency intends to end the review panel's work next month. "The EPA's proposal today to disband the panel after the next meeting is unacceptable,'' Clinton said in a statement. "The panel has not even begun to meet its mandate to identify unmet public health needs.'' Nadler, whose district includes ground zero, was even more caustic, calling the EPA's plan "a breathtaking slap at the residents and workers of lower Manhattan.'' ... (1010 WINS, November 30, 2005)
EPA to Scale Back Testing at Ground Zero ... The Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it will no longer test for World Trade Center dust contamination in Brooklyn and north of Canal Street in Manhattan, a reduced testing plan that has outraged many politicians and health advocates. The $7 million testing plan also excludes buildings slated for demolition. The EPA will test for four toxic contaminants -- asbestos, lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, known as PAHs, and man-made vitreous fibers -- released when the twin towers collapsed in the 2001 terrorist attacks. If enough apartments or offices test positive for contamination, the EPA will send in cleanup crews. The agency lacks authority to require landlords to conduct cleanups. ... Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) forced the EPA to establish the review panel, and she called its disbanding "unacceptable." "The panel has not even begun to meet its mandate to identify unmet public health needs," she said. (Washington Post, By Michael Powell, November 30, 2005)
EPA plan to test dust from NYC terrorist attack draws flak from senators ... The plan, unveiled Nov. 29, drew sharp criticism from Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., who argued that the plan doesn´t do enough and is too geographically limited. The $7 million test and cleanup program covers an area south of Canal Street and west of Pike and Allen streets. The EPA will analyze the samples for asbestos, man-made vitreous fiber, lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Previous cleanup efforts for apartments occurred in 2002 and 2003, but residents and others have voiced concerns about their effectiveness and the possibility of recontamination. (WasteNews, Nov. 30, 2005)
EPA to sample for WTC dust ... The announcement came a month after the agency's own peer review panel rejected the original sampling plan because "EPA has not made the case that its proposed analytical method can reliably discriminate background dust from dust contaminated with WTC residue....The proposed method has not demonstrated the utility of slag wool as a successful signature constituent." ... The reaction from the community is one of disappointment. For David Newman, an industrial hygienist with the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), the plan is a failure. "I think it's a terrible plan," said Newman, who also served on the panel. Newman is not surprised by the plan, though, saying he knew something like this would be produced once the peer review returned in October. "Probably the only thing positive I can say about this plan is that it includes three additional (contaminants of particular concern) to be tested for. But the plan really fails and is inadequate to accomplish its mission." Since the peer review panel rejected the June sampling plan a month ago, community activists and panel members have been hedging their bets on just what was next for the plan. Many were not surprised at the peer review rejection, but remained worried about what the next step would be. .... To Newman, that means the panel has not fulfilled its mission. "The mission of the panel is pretty clear, and it's pretty clear that we have not achieved or accomplished the mission set out for us. None of that has happened. It's just a disappointing retreat from the EPA's and the panel's mandate - and the EPA's statutory mission to protect environmental health." Newman said he expects the level of outrage from the public will be high at the December meeting, and once the panel is disbanded, that the outrage will continue through the work of the residential and labor community around the city. "People who are concerned and who have been affected will continue to be active around these issues. It's just unfortunate that the opportunity to address this in a focused manner is coming to an end." ... (Disaster News, by Heather Moyer, November 30, 2005)
EPA Reduces Area for World Trade Center Dust Testing ... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in a final plan issued today, reduced the area of New York City where buildings are to be retested for residual contamination from the collapse of the World Trade Center more than four years ago. The testing area now covers all of lower Manhattan south of Canal Street and west of Pike and Allen streets, which are near the Manhattan Bridge. In May, the agency doubled the testing zone and included northwestern Brooklyn..... Clinton Criticism: U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has been monitoring the agency's efforts, called the plan inadequate. ``It fails to correct the major problems identified by the EPA's inspector general in 2003,'' Clinton, a New York Democrat, said in an e-mailed statement. The senator, citing the inspector general's report said there was no scientific basis for limiting the testing area. ... (Bloomberg News, By David M. Levitt, November 29, 2005)
EPA Offers Final 9/11 Dust Testing Plan For Lower Manhattan ... WASHINGTON -- The government offered its final plan for testing lower Manhattan buildings for leftover dust from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack. Lawmakers derided the move Tuesday as too little, too late. ... New York lawmakers including Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, both Democrats, had criticized past EPA testing efforts and demanded more thorough scientific work. They said the plan announced Tuesday fell well short of what was needed, particularly because the agency intends to end the review panel's work next month. "The EPA's proposal today to disband the panel after the next meeting is unacceptable," Clinton said in a statement. "The panel has not even begun to meet its mandate to identify unmet public health needs." ... (AP/NBC, November 29, 2005)
Statement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on the Release of the EPA's World Trade Center Testing Plan ... "While the plan includes modest improvements over the prior EPA indoor cleanup program, it fails to correct the major problems identified by EPA's Inspector General in 2003. For example, the plan does not include testing in north of Canal Street or in Brooklyn, in spite of the Inspector General's conclusion that the cleanup boundaries were not scientifically developed. In addition, the plan ignores many of the recommendations made by the World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel over the last 20 months. Finally, the EPA's proposal today to disband the Panel after the next meeting is unacceptable. The Panel has not even begun to meet its mandate to identify unmet public health needs and recommend any steps to further minimize the risks associated with the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks. I will be fighting to ensure that the Panel completes this important task." (News Release, November 29, 2005)
Nadler Statement on New EPA Testing Plan ... WASHINGTON, D.C., Congressman Jerrold Nadler released the following statement today following the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement that it has drafted a new testing and cleaning plan. "This testing and cleanup plan is a breathtaking slap at the residents and workers of Lower Manhattan. Once again, EPA is quite callously demonstrating that the health and safety of those affected by 9/11 are simply not a priority. "EPA continues to ignore mounting evidence about dust contamination, the testimony of sick residents and workers who are still exposed to harmful substances, and the opinions of its very own panelists. "This sham plan is terrible in many ways: it excludes workplaces; it does not address the problem of contaminated HVAC systems; it ignores buildings slated for demolition; it will not investigate whether areas have been re-contaminated; and it does not cover all the geographic areas known to have been showered with dust – and that's just for starters. "The EPA has, however, met several of its traditional internal goals: to obfuscate the facts, to deny the truth, and to produce a plan designed not to find any contamination." (News Release, November 29, 2005)
EPA offers final Sept. 11 dust testing plan for lower Manhattan buildings ... The government offered its final plan for testing lower Manhattan buildings for leftover dust from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack. Lawmakers derided the move Tuesday as too little, too late. ...New York lawmakers including Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, both Democrats, had criticized past EPA testing efforts and demanded more thorough scientific work. They said the plan announced Tuesday fell well short of what was needed, particularly because the agency intends to end the review panel's work next month. "The EPA's proposal today to disband the panel after the next meeting is unacceptable," Clinton said in a statement. "The panel has not even begun to meet its mandate to identify unmet public health needs." Nadler, whose district includes ground zero, was even more caustic, calling the EPA's plan "a breathtaking slap at the residents and workers of lower Manhattan." The review panel was created after Clinton and Nadler complained the agency prematurely assured New Yorkers that air pollution from 1.8 million tons of World Trade Center debris posed no health threat. (AP/Daily News, Devlin Barrett, November 29, 2005)
Disputed $125 Million Aid for Injured Responders Restored to the Federal Budget, Again ... (NYCOSH Update, November 28, 2005)
Falling Deutsche glass hits Albany St. ... Glass fell from the damaged Deutsche Building onto the street last week, the second such incident in the last 14 months.... In high wind on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 16, fragments from a 3-foot by 3-foot windowpane on the south side of the building came loose. Some of the glass fell through the perimeter protection area, but a few pieces fell first onto the sidewalk shed and then onto the street, which is open to traffic and pedestrians.... Officials with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation say new safeguards have been implemented to prevent a third incident. ... (Downtown Express, Nov. 25 - Dec. 2, 2005)
New Orleans Assesses Rebuilding Risks Based on WTC Experience ... New Orleans --The liability pitfalls experienced during the cleanup effort at the World Trade Center site after the 2001 terrorist attack are serving as a blueprint for caution among contractors and construction insurers tapped to help rebuild New Orleans. The liability issues facing construction workers in the hurricane-ravaged city are significant and of a much larger scale compared with Ground Zero, observers say. ...Uncertain site conditions; unknown health hazards such as chemicals that could be released during cleanup; and the lack of certainty on contracting provisions and legal environments are among the many risks that can't be quantified, Becker said. .... (November 28, 2005)
City to get back 125M in 9/11 aid ... Relenting to political pressure from New York lawmakers, Congress has done an abrupt about-face and pledged to reinstate $125 million in aid to 9/11 first-responders. ... (NY Daily News, November 23, 2005)
Clinton, Nadler and World Trade Center Expert Technical Panelists Press for Final Indoor Testing Plan: Letter to EPA Outlines Principles That Plan Should Incorporate and Asks for Meeting With EPA ... Washington, DC - In response to what they see as slowing progress in the efforts to determine the extent of remaining indoor contamination following the September 11th attacks, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Congressman Jerrold Nadler wrote a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen Johnson to call for more action and to convene a meeting to develop a consensus plan. Clinton and Nadler were joined on the letter by four members of the World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel ("WTC Panel"), as well as the panel's community and labor liaisons. The primary task of the WTC Panel is to help the EPA to design a testing plan to determine the extent of existing indoor contamination resulting from the collapse of the World Trade Center. The plan has been under development for 20 months by EPA and the WTC Panel. ... (News Release Senator Clinton, November 22, 2005)
A Happier Thanksgiving for 9/11 Heroes: 9/11 Injured Responders Will Keep Federal Aid: Rep. Maloney applauds Rep. Fossella, united NY delegation for securing commitment from Speaker of the House to reinstate money ... WASHINGTON, DC - The House Speaker, Dennis Hastert (R-IL), has agreed to preserve 9/11 injured responder aid that was on the verge of being taken away (http://www.house.gov/maloney/issues/Sept11/112205letter_hastert.pdf). Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) was able to secure an agreement from the Speaker following months of pressure from the united New York delegation to scuttle a Bush administration plan that would take back $125 million appropriated for injured responders after 9/11.... (News Release, November 22, 2005)
Letter to the Editor: Deutsche plan concerns ... I, too, was upset about the disruption of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. meeting to discuss the demolition of the Deutsche Bank building. I came to get information, too. But I didn't want just my own private concerns answered, I wanted to hear everyone's concerns publicly and to get a response. That is why an open mic was crucial. That is why simply dragging oneself to Community Board 1 meetings is not enough, even for a C.B. 1 public member like myself. That is why C.B. 1 (to its credit) eventually withdrew its support of L.M.D.C.'s decision to let individuals take "questions to experts directly at small tables....to get information quickly and discreetly without standing in front of a crowd." This was billed as a public meeting. That meant, to me at least, hearing the public, i.e. everyone, you and those with tape over their mouths. Yes, it could get messy, and, yes, as you note, "there is no way to control a public meeting." That's the exact point and L.M.D.C. should have responded by opening up mics for public comment, avoiding all the drama that ensued. ... You note, "to be clear, contamination to the public can be harmful." You say you do not believe the risks from contamination "is substantial." You may be right. What I, and my CERT team, and your neighbors, and many, many good citizens worry about is that there is no plan in place in case you are wrong. ... (scroll down, Downtown Express, by Jean Bergantini Grillo, November 18 - 24, 2005)
House Leader Pledges to Return 9/11 Funds ... A top House Republican has promised to give back to New York some $125 million in Sept. 11 aid that lawmakers had decided to take away just a week earlier. Much of the money will be directed to provide health care for injured firefighters and police officers, officials said. House Speaker Dennis Hastert wrote to Rep. Vito Fossella, pledging to return the funding as part of a spending package to fund post-hurricane relief efforts along the Gulf Coast. ...(1010 WINS, Nov 22, 2005)
Working to reduce the pain from $20 billion worth of construction ... Environmental monitoring is another key aspect to the work we are doing at the Command Center. We have now identified four locations for area-wide air monitoring: 90 Maiden Lane, 292 Greenwich St. (P.S. 234), 80 Catherine St. (P.S. 80), 1 World Financial Center (Albany & South End Ave.). Results will be monitored daily and regular posting of the results will be coming to LowerManhattan.info shortly. ... (Downtown Express, By Charles J. Maikish, November 18 - 24, 2005)
90 Church Staff Lobbying For Better Windows ... A coalition of state, city and Federal unions gathered on the steps of City Hall Nov. 10 to renew their calls for double-paned windows in their workplace at 90 Church St. in lower Manhattan. The workers have been protesting the lack of protective interior windows for more than a year without success. They're worried that the pending demolition of several buildings damaged on 9/11 will stir up toxic dust that's been dormant, and that diesel fumes and increased particulate matter will increase air pollution around the site. They said their existing windows, installed in the 1930s, were ill-fitting and "leaky." ... (The Chief-Leader, By Ginger Adams Otis, November 18, 2005)
90 Church Staff Lobbying For Better Windows ... A coalition of state, city and Federal unions gathered on the steps of City Hall Nov. 10 to renew their calls for double-paned windows in their workplace at 90 Church St. in lower Manhattan. The workers have been protesting the lack of protective interior windows for more than a year without success. They're worried that the pending demolition of several buildings damaged on 9/11 will stir up toxic dust that's been dormant, and that diesel fumes and increased particulate matter will increase air pollution around the site. They said their existing windows, installed in the 1930s, were ill-fitting and "leaky." Speaking of the Mayor... The group presented a petition signed with more than 1,300 worker signatures to City Council Member Robert Jackson, who attended the protest in a show of solidarity and promised to make sure "the Mayor saw it." ... Pleas Go Unheeded ...But since then, she stated, neither the city, the Postal Service, nor the building's owner -- Mort Zuckerman of Boston Properties — has responded to their calls for better windows to keep out dust and pollution. "Why not work with us?" shouted Ms. Kitt, addressing her question to the absent Mr. Zuckerman — who is the publisher of the Daily News — the HA and Postal Service. "Why not keep us safe and healthy?" Several floors in the building have been double-paned, but only those occupied by PEF employees, who work for the state. Many of them spoke at the rally, saying they wanted the same consideration extended to their fellow workers.... HA: Did What's Needed ... HA officials have previously stated that they feel they've taken sufficient steps to protect worker health. The agency brought in industrial cleaners after 9/11 and had the building stripped while checking for contamination. They installed pre-filters to supplement the building's ventilation system and do regular testing of air and water quality. But the workers said there's still visible detritus wafting in every day, and they're concerned about the cumulative effect of working eight-hour shifts in an area that they describe as "the city's largest construction site for the next 10 years." ... (The Chief-Leader, by Ginger Adams Otis, November 18, 2005)
Letter to the Editor ... The unresolved deficiencies in the plans identified by those attending the Oct. 24 meeting include a lack of adequate emergency notification to the community, unqualified workers permitted to monitor safety, and testing planned for the wrong intervals and locations. These problems still need to be remedied in order to protect the community (especially those of us who live the closest) through the demolition of a very large and contaminated structure. We disagree with Dave that these are insubstantial matters. We also disagree with Dave's readiness to assume that any lapses on the L.M.D.C.'s part will be remedied through oversight by city agencies. It's barely six months since vigilance and follow-through by neighbors in our building saved us from a city-authorized demolition of a contaminated and entirely unremediated building on Thames St. (news article, May 27 - June 2, "City issues then revokes demolition permits"). Where were the guarantors of our safety then? Open processes are messy and not to everyone's taste. In our view, however, that mess is preferable to the mess of a demolition process gone awry. (Downtown Express, by 125 Cedar St. residents, November 11 - 17, 2005)
Letter to the Editor ... I very much appreciated Ronda Kaysen's article, "L.M.D.C. pummeled at public meeting" (news article, Oct. 28 - Nov. 3). It stated very well how helpless many residents near the Deutsche Bank building feel about living next to a high-risk demolition. Even though our questions were answered by L.M.D.C. last Monday night, the answers are the same as they have been for months. It appears as though L.M.D.C. will not take our questions seriously, because they don't seem to be offering up any new solutions to the problems that still exist. ...(Downtown Express, by Esther Regelson, November 11 - 17, 2005)
Washington Lawmakers Taking 9/11 Aid Back ... Congressional budget negotiators have decided to take back $125 million in Sept. 11 aid from New York, which had fought to keep the money to treat sick and injured ground zero workers, lawmakers said Tuesday. New York officials had sought for months to hold onto the funding, originally meant to cover increased worker compensation costs stemming from the 2001 terror attacks.(1010 WINS, Nov 16, 2005)
Katrina Cough: The health problems of 9/11 are back.... Katrina cough isn't necessarily dramatic, and some experts have dismissed it as minor. But it can be serious for people with asthma, respiratory illness, or compromised immune systems. As we should have learned from the aftermath of 9/11, early symptoms like coughs can auger chronic health problems among people who aren't protected from ongoing hazards. If Katrina cough follows the 9/11 pattern, more people are likely to become sick months or years from now—unless we start doing more to protect them. Following 9/11, the EPA and OSHA failed to safeguard nearby residents and workers at Ground Zero from unnecessary exposures to asbestos, lead, glass fibers, concrete dust, and other toxins. The damage was caused not by a few days of rescue work, but by weeks and months of cleaning up the site or living nearby. The EPA offered assurances that the air outside of Ground Zero was safe to breathe—even though, as the agency's inspector general found in 2003, the agency "did not have sufficient data and analyses to make such a blanket statement." ... (Slate, by Amanda Schaffer, Nov. 15, 2005)
Protesters Demand Improved Safety In Building ... Wearing blue face masks and carrying yellow signs picturing dead canaries, dozens of city workers protested in front of City Hall yesterday for the installation of double windows, because the existing windows do not filter the pollution entering their workplace. Worried about the quality of the air they are breathing in the building where they work at 90 Church Street, next to Ground Zero, workers demanded the safety measures and the double windows to prevent the entry of harmful particles that still remain in the air, according to the workers, union representatives and Councilman Robert Jackson. ... (HOY, by Santiago Bonilla, November 11, 2005)
E.P.A. to change dust plan after rebuke ... The Environmental Protection Agency expects to release a new plan to sample Downtown and Brooklyn buildings for remaining World Trade Center dust in the next month, now that a panel of experts derailed its original efforts. Last week, an independent panel of experts from around the country rejected the E.P.A.'s plan to sample for dust from the plume that followed the Sept. 11 collapse of the W.T.C., insisting the sampling method is scientifically unsound. The agency hoped to begin sampling a selection of Downtown and Brooklyn buildings for remaining W.T.C. dust this year, relying on a so-called signature in the dust. The signature would theoretically differentiate W.T.C. dust from other, unrelated city dust. ... But the panel's findings -- a peer review process -- rejected the idea that the agency could rely on one element, slag wool from the W.T.C. insulation material, to determine a signature. "E.P.A. has not made the case that its proposed analytical method can reliably discriminate background dust from dust contaminated with W.T.C. residue," the panel wrote in its findings. "The proposed method has not demonstrated the utility of slag wool as a successful signature constituent." ... The latest setback has done little to appease the concerns of residents. "We're very concerned what E.P.A.'s next move is," said Catherine McVay Hughes, community liaison for the technical review panel and chairperson of Community Board 1's W.T.C. Redevelopment Committee. "We're very concerned about the details of plan B. We're very concerned about it."... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, November 4 - 10, 2005)
Talking Point: More heat than light from Deutsche meeting demonstrators ... To the credit of Community Board 1, various environmental groups and experts, and the L.M.D.C., the removal of Deutsche looks like it will be far safer for everyone involved. We are all indebted to the watchdog groups who have forced the L.M.D.C. to address very real environmental concerns. But, after months of intense discussions, it is time to stop fighting and move ahead. The L.M.D.C. has significantly enhanced the original take down procedures (compared to the earlier L.M.D.C. plans of December 2004, May 2005, and June 2005). The Environmental Protection Agency found the Sept. 7 final plans acceptable. ... (Downtown Express, November 4 - 10, 2005)
Letter to the Editor: A better Deutsche plan ... t is unfortunate that it took a disruptive demonstration to force the L.M.D.C. to do what is right, but given L.M.D.C.'s continuing disregard for the health and well-being of Downtown residents and workers, it was necessary to take action to prevent L.M.D.C. from avoiding questions about the serious deficiencies in their current demolition plan. Downtown workers and residents have a right to a plan that provides the strongest safeguards against the release of contaminants from the building under demolition into the atmosphere, as well as a well-designed emergency notification procedure in case the safeguards fail. The current plan provides neither. ... (Downtown Express, by Paul Stein, November 4 - 10, 2005)
Second EMT Dies of Lung Disease ... The Fire Department Oct. 28 held funeral services for an Emergency Medical Technician who passed away Oct. 23 from a lung illness believed to be related to his work at Ground Zero. ... (Chief-Leader, By Ginger Adams Otis, November 4, 2005)
9/11 firefighters show long-term lung damage ... The latest follow-up report on lung function in New York City firefighters shows that firefighters who served in rescue efforts in the World Trade Center collapse are showing "accelerated pulmonary function decline." The data were presented here Wednesday at CHEST 2005, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. Dr. David Pezant of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and deputy chief medical officer of the New York City Department of Firefighters was lead author of the report involving 12,079 firefighters who worked at the site before, during and after September 11, 2001, as well as those who were never exposed. ... The firefighters underwent lung function testing two to three times a year prior to 9/11 and once annually since then. Spirometry measures of lung function correlated linearly with arrival time at the disaster site, Pezant announced. "Pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second, or FEV1) decline was about 20 to 30 mL a year prior to the attack, which you would expect with the normal aging process," Pezant told Reuters Health. "Instead, what we found was figures 12 times higher than that." Lung function dropped the most for firefighters exposed during the collapse, followed by those who arrived over the next 48 hours, followed those who were exposed after that. Decline in lung function was around 50 percent greater in those with late exposure compared with those who were never exposed, he noted. Pezant pointed out that the long-term course of lung function decline is uncertain. The decline in pulmonary function appears to correlate with respiratory symptoms, he added. He also said: "I can tell you anecdotally that while there is some improvement in those who are treated, treatment does not eliminate the drop in pulmonary function entirely." (Reuters, by Martha Kerr, Nov. 3, 2005)
L.M.D.C. pummeled at public meeting ... The last thing the embattled Lower Manhattan Development Corporation needed this week was a public relations snafu. But that is exactly what the agency got when it hosted an "open house" about the demolition of 130 Liberty St. Michael Haberman, community liaison for L.M.D.C., the agency vested with the reconstruction of Lower Manhattan, was dramatically interrupted as he explained the evening's agenda. Protestors with blue tape covering their mouths wielding yellow signs that blasted "L.M.D.C. wants to silence the Lower Manhattan community" shouted questions and accusations through Haberman's introduction.... Critics protested the meeting not for its content so much as its format. In lieu of the traditional "open mic" format where speakers ask their questions publicly, L.M.D.C. opted for an "open table" setup where members of the public individually approach various experts and agencies seated at tables and ask their questions privately. L.M.D.C. would then publicly answer a selection of the questions. ... "The people who have questions are not going to have a full opportunity to ask them in a proper venue," Linda Rosenthal, an aide to Nadler, told Downtown Express shortly before the meeting. ... Monday night's outburst is the latest example of escalating friction between the development corporation and the community board. C.B. 1 members hammered Haberman at a recent board meeting about the demise of the International Freedom Center, a museum planned for the new World Trade Center. The following night, the board passed two resolutions scolding L.M.D.C. for the slow pace of the redevelopment and the lack of public input in the process. ...Critics wonder if the sudden Sept. 11-anniversary approval was more than a coincidence, a theory Evangelista did not reject. The two agencies decided to hammer out an agreement through a series of meetings over the summer, .... (Downtown Express, by Ronda Kaysen, Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2005)
UnderCover: Gerson aides of yore ... City Councilmember Alan Gerson's absence from a recent Lower Manhattan Development Corporation open house raised eyebrows in some circles, with Downtown sources wondering if the councilmember's loyalty to former aides kept him silent. The meeting about 130 Liberty St. degenerated into a mutinous free-for-all when audience members declared format undemocratic and took control of the microphone. But Gerson, who represents the district, was nowhere to be seen on Monday night and said nothing publicly about the L.M.D.C.'s choice of format, despite a boycott of the event by Community Board 1 and a widely-circulated letter of protest from U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler and State Sen. Martin Connor. Two of the city councilmember's former aides now have close ties to the corporation. Gerson's former assistant chief of staff, Robin Forst, left her post in June to work for Downtown construction czar Charlie Maikish. ... (Downtown Express, by Ronda Kaysen, Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2005)
What Happened to That Cloud of Dust? ... It remains one of the most powerful images of the day the twin towers fell - a towering cloud of angry gray dust that rose up from the debris and raged through the canyons of Lower Manhattan, blotting out the sun and choking everything, and everyone, in its way. For a time, the dust seemed to be everywhere, from the insides of downtown apartments to the very air that New Yorkers breathed. It is suspected of causing respiratory problems and may have long-term effects on health. Most of the dust was swept up long ago, but small amounts of it doubtless remain, tucked in nooks and corners. Federal environmental officials had planned to test living and working places in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn this year to make sure they are not still contaminated. But the project has been stalled in part because even though the dust was seen, smelled or inhaled by millions of New Yorkers four years ago, there is no consensus about how to identify it today. Last Friday, a panel of independent scientists from around the country rejected a proposal by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to use a single element in the dust - slag wool insulation from the towers - in tests to prove its presence. "E.P.A. has not made the case that its proposed analytical method can reliably discriminate background dust from dust contaminated with W.T.C. residue," the peer review concluded. The panel's rejection has thrown 18 months of planning into chaos, and has left the E.P.A. scrambling for alternatives to satisfy residents worried that the dust may be hazardous. No one really knows what kind of long-term risk the material represents or whether it is dangerous in the small amounts that would still be in apartments and offices. Scientists have not compiled a list of everything it contained, and probably never will. ... Catherine McVay Hughes, a member of the E.P.A.'s technical panel who lives a block away from ground zero, said that if a new plan was put forward, the community would demand to know what kind of contaminants besides lead and asbestos the agency would test for, where it would do the testing and what level of contamination would prompt a cleanup. ... (NYTimes,by Anthony DePalma, November 2, 2005)

OCTOBER

Hillary Rescues 9/11 Funds ... White House and congressional budget hawks, arguing that New York had no plans to use the unspent funds, pulled back the cash in their proposals, launching the New York congressional delegation into high alert to save it..... (NYPost, Oct. 28, 2005)
Senate Restores 9/11 Aid for Hurt Workers ... The unspent $125 million was part of a $20 billion aid package Congress gave to New York following the 2001 terrorist attacks. The restoration of the workers' funding must still clear one final step: negotiations between budget leaders in the Senate and the House, who will forge a compromise bill between versions of the larger spending bill. Congress originally gave $175 million to New York state for the expected costs of settling workers compensation claims for those killed or injured at ground zero. New York lawmakers argued many ground zero workers may not develop symptoms for years, and the state will eventually need that money. (The Hearal News Daily, by Develin Barrett, Oct. 17, 2005)
Statement by Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer on Unanimous Senate Approval of Clinton-Schumer Amendment to Restore 9/11 Funding ... "Today's vote is a victory for our heroic men and women who selflessly risked their health and safety at Ground Zero in the horrific aftermath of 9/11. While the Congress and the President made a promise to provide assistance to emergency responders and others who were injured, disabled or died as a result of their recovery work, there are still people and their families who are waiting for answers on claims and who need continued medical and mental health screening, monitoring and treatment. The Senate agreed today that we owe it to them to make sure they have the critical assistance they need and deserve ... (News Release, October 27, 2005)
STATEMENT FROM MAYOR BLOOMBERG ON THE CLINTON-SCHUMER AMENDMENT TO RESTORE 9/11 FUNDING ... "The Senate's passage of the Clinton-Schumer Amendment is a victory for all New Yorkers who were injured on September 11th or in its immediate aftermath. New York's recovery from September 11th has been a long and difficult journey for many, and the restoration of these funds will go towards critical health and mental health services for many New Yorkers – including our Firefighters and Police Officers. ... I urge Congress to enact this legislation when the House and Senate Appropriations Committees meet in conference." (News Release, Oct. 27, 2005)
Advocates Voice Concerns Over Health Hazards Of Deutsche Bank Demolition ... An informal meeting about the planned demolition of the Deustche Bank building at the World Trade Center site turned into a shouting match Monday. Members of the community were upset that Lower Manhattan Development Corporation officials would not hold a public question and answer session about the demolition project. Some of the neighbors fear contaminants will be released when the building is torn down. "The community needs to be given an opportunity to continue to ask questions – and hard questions – about this very difficult subject," said Julie Menin of Community Board 1. .... (NY1, October 25, 2005)
Public Debate Over WTC Site Heats Up ... REPORTER: But before anything can go up at that site a 42 story contaminated office building has to come down in one of the most complicated deconstruction projects in history. The toxic building contains asbestos, metals and other hazerdous materials. The Lower Manhattan Developmnt Corporation paid over $90 million for the building after it was made unusable when the Twin Towers collapsed. At last night's LMDC's public briefing session on the deconstruction, there was not an empty seat to be had. LMDC Vice President Michael Haberman, Vice President for Community Development set the ground rules for public participation but quickly lost control of the room as the audience made up mostly of neighborhood residents errupted. CROWD: You'll have the opportunity to ask all the questions you want to ask at the tables! Why are you censoring the victims! Why do you get to pick the questions we ask! REPORTER: Dozens of activists removed blue painters tape they had put over their mouths to protest the way the LMDC has set up the public participation. ... REPORTER: Local residents are concerned that not enough care being taken with the site's environmental remediation. They are demanding that the EPA be the lead agency. And they're angry that one of the firms on the job, Safeway Environmental is currently under criminal investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. The firm was also sited by the City for violations related to a Supermarket wall collapse in Manhattan this summer..... Julie Menin, chairperson of Community Board Number one says despite EPA's history downtown they remain the most qualified agency to run the show.... MENIN: We have had a very diffcult road with EPA. They have had a very poor track record in our community with not being forth coming. And with this type of building that is the most contaminated building in the city it is vitally important that we make sure that EPA have responsibility and also that we make sure LMDC listens to the community and listens to their concerns. .... (WNYC, by Bob Hennelly, October 25, 2005)
Bravest fume at FDNY: 30 to file suit over 9/11 pension woes ... Numerous firefighters who survived 9/11 have found themselves trapped in desk jobs - too ill to battle blazes but not sick enough to qualify for disability pensions, the Daily News has learned. A group of 30 active and retired firefighters are now preparing a class-action lawsuit to force the Fire Department to make up its mind - restore them to active duty or let them retire on disability. The firefighters were designated for light duty by FDNY doctors who found them disabled by asthma or other lung-related problems. But in late 2003, the medical board of the pension fund changed the standard for lung disability, according to the Uniformed Firefighters Association. "The rules changed after the Fire Department realized how many firefighters were affected by 9/11," said lawyer Jeffrey Goldberg of Lake Success, L.I., who is preparing the lawsuit. "There's no logic to keep them on the payroll. I think there's a political agenda to protect the pension fund." Prior to the change, firefighters who flunked a breathing test - called the Methacholine challenge - were generally granted a tax-free disability pension by the trustees on the pension board. Now they're being sent out by the medical board for a pulmonary function test that the union charges doesn't check for the "reactive airway condition" that afflicts many of these firefighters. ... He balked at going off his meds in order to take another pulmonary function test. "They want me to go in distress and see the fluid build up in my lungs," said Whalen, 42, who was outside the North Tower when it fell. "Do you take a diabetic off insulin to see if they're still diabetic? ... (NYDaily News, by John Marzulli, October 25, 2005)
Metro Briefing: New York: MANHATTAN: DEMOLITION HEARING IS DISPUTED Community Board 1 has withdrawn in protest as co-sponsor of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's information session on Monday on the impending demolition of the contaminated former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street. Julie Menin, the board chairwoman, said the format, in which residents' questions are to be answered individually at small tables, deprived the public of a forum "where concerns are relayed and everyone can hear them." Representative Jerrold L. Nadler criticized the format as "inherently undemocratic and profoundly counterproductive." In response, Michael Haberman, a vice president of the corporation, said the format would be amended so "questions asked at the tables will be noted and we will reconvene for a group discussion regarding frequently asked questions." David W. Dunlap (NYTimes, October 22, 2005)
The Rebuilding of Lower Manhattan: Now Is the Winter of Lower Manhattan's Discontent? ...Question 20. In general, would you say that the cleanup and monitoring of air quality in Lower Manhattan after 9/11 went very well, somewhat well, not that well, or not well at all?
- Oct. 2005 Sep. 2004 Feb. 2004 July 2003
- 10% 12% 13% 24% Very well
- 31% 27% 35% 37% Somewhat well
- 23% 25% 22% 16% Not that well
- 33% 32% 22% 15% Not well at all
- 4% 5% 7% 8% Don't know
- * * 1% NA Refused
- 40% 39% 48% 61% Net Positive
- 56% 57% 44% 31% Net Negative(The PACE Poll, October 12, 2005)
  Question 44B. Do you think there is a long-term health risk for Lower Manhattan residents as a result of air quality after 9/11?
- 57% Yes
- 33% No
- 8% Don't Know (DO NOT READ)
- 2% Refused (DO NOT READ)
Hopes for Effective Cleanup of Lower Manhattan Dim: Planning for Demolition of Contaminated Buildings Moves Behind Closed Doors ... Almost entirely unnoticed by anyone who is not personally active in the effort to remove 9/11 contamination from Lower Manhattan and surrounding areas, the EPA and New York State government stopped cooperating with the community and elected officials in August. The EPA shifted course shortly after a July 12 meeting of its Expert Technical Review Panel, which has been working with EPA to develop a testing and cleanup plan over the last two years. EPA had been forced to create the panel to review unmet public health needs in Lower Manhattan by Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman, after it was revealed that the agency had intentionally misled the public about the hazardousness of the air after 9/11. ... (NYCOSH Update, October 20, 2005)
Gulf Coast Cleanup Workers Must Be Protected from Serious Health Hazards ... Joel Shufro, Executive Director, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health: "The potential for workers and residents to be exposed to toxic and life-threatening substances is real. Regulatory agencies with the responsibility for protecting the health of workers and residents along the Gulf Coast are not enforcing essential rules, and are making statements that minimize the seriousness of the hazards. The agencies' actions are very similar to the flawed and dangerous approach that became official policy in the aftermath of 9/11." ... (Medicalnewstoday.com, 9 Oct 2005)
Talking Point: Free the rest of the W.T.C. from the memorial ... Can it address the political pressure exerted on the E.P.A. to declare the area safe to prevent spending more money on cleanup and protection of citizens? A memorial center telling the 9/11 story will never tell the whole story with the limits on free speech that have already been established. ... (Downtown Express, By David Stanke, October 7 - 13, 2005)
EPA Resistance To Past Reforms Raises Doubt About Hurricane Response ... But EPA has been aggressive in providing information to the public, issuing a host of advisories about environmental and health concerns in the area. "One of the lessons learned from 9/11 is to improve risk communication," Peacock testified last week at the same House hearing before the subcommittee on environment and hazardous materials. "If someone is going back to their home, we provide caution." But critics say the information is not reaching affected individuals in the region and some of the testing data on the agency's Web site are inaccessible to those displaced by the storm. ... (Inside EPA, By Manu Raju, October 7, 2005)
Study: 9/11 Dust Causing Health Problems ... MONTCLAIR, N.J. (AP) - The dust and debris that billowed into the air when the World Trade Center towers collapsed after the 9/11 terror attacks has had long-reaching detrimental health effects, most notably on firefighters, experts said. At a conference Thursday at Montclair State University, health experts discussed the effects of air quality after 9/11, specifically on firefighters working in the area and children born to pregnant women living nearby. Firefighters have had serious, long-term respiratory problems from the particles of pulverized concrete or glass they inhaled, according to Dr. David Prezant, who has been leading a program to study the health effects of 9/11 on New York City firefighters. .... The experts said one of the problems with measuring the air quality effects after 9/11 is that most of the testing mechanisms are designed to test air quality over a long period of time and not from a catastrophic event like the towers' collapse. The experts also said while gases like fumes from the burning jet fuel may have affected health, there was no way to measure it. (Las Vegas Sun, by Rebecca Santana, October 06, 2005)
EPA BECOMING ARM OF CORPORATE R & D -- Bush Nominee to Head EPA Research Program Opposed ... Washington, DC, President Bush's nominee [replaces Oppelt, former chair of EPA WTC Expert Technical Panel] to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research program will increase corporate influence over agency science, according to a letter of opposition released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Today, the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works is slated to vote on the nomination of George M. Gray to serve as the Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator for Research and Development. ORD is EPA's science branch and consists of 2,000 employees, located in three national laboratories, four national centers, and two offices divided among 14 facilities across the country. Currently, Gray runs a Center for Risk Analysis housed at Harvard University. The majority of funding for Gray's center comes from corporate sources. Much of that corporate support comes in the form of unrestricted grants. The balance is earmarked by corporate underwriters for very specific research tasks. ... (News Release Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, October 6, 2005)
Final Report of the Peer Review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Final Report on the World Trade Center (WTC) Dust Screening Study" ... Proposed Analytical Method. The peer reviewers had concerns about laboratories" abilities to implement the proposed analytical method consistently or correctly, given that three out of the eight laboratories selected to participate in the method validation study failed to produce data of acceptable quality. Even after representatives from the eight laboratories "attended a 2-day session during which the method was further developed and discussed" and "all laboratory participants held weekly conference calls as the analytical program was proceeding to discuss general issues with the protocol" (EPA 2005a), data had to be massaged to differentiate WTC dust from background dust.... Data Analysis and Interpretation. The peer reviewers were skeptical that EPA's evaluation and interpretation of the study data were performed fairly. Peer reviewers pointed to several non-standard steps taken to enhance the study's ability to distinguish WTC dust from background dust and noted that these steps could be interpreted as attempts to prove the method's success rather than to objectively evaluate its real-world potential for fingerprinting WTC dust.... Selection of a WTC Signature. The peer reviewers supported EPA's conclusion that gypsum and elements consistent with concrete do not meet the WTC signature selection criteria. Regarding slag wool, the peer reviewers agreed that, from the data provided, EPA has not made the case that its proposed analytical method can reliably discriminate background dust from dust contaminated with WTC residue. Thus, the proposed method has not demonstrated the utility of slag wool as a successful signature constituent. ... (NYCOSH, October 2005)

SEPTEMBER

EPA Science Advisors Say Katrina Response Shows Failure To Address 9/11 Concern ... Members of EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) say the agency's response to Hurricane Katrina shows officials have failed to implement key 9/11 recommendations for rapidly assessing risks to human health and the environment in the event of an emergency. At an SAB meeting on Sept. 28, panelists expressed the concerns to top EPA officials, including Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock and Chief Science Advisor Dr. William Farland. The panelists charged that the agency has failed to develop methods to rapidly evaluate acute exposure hazards following a chemical or biological emergency, even after repeated public criticism of the agency's ability to assess such risks after 9/11. The panel's criticism comes as EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has acknowledged that the agency's response to the hurricane provides an opportunity to demonstrate that officials have learned from the mistakes of 9/11, when EPA officials announced that the air in lower Manhattan was safe to breathe even though they lacked data to back up those claims. "One of the lessons learned from post-9/11 is the importance of getting the information out to communities," Johnson said at a Sept. 14 press conference. EPA and former agency officials are now facing a class-action lawsuit over the public announcements. An advisory panel created following congressional pressure is still seeking to develop a dust sampling plan and address other issues related to 9/11 contamination. In response to the 9/11 debacle, the agency's inspector general (IG) recommended that EPA develop an emergency quality assurance sampling plan to be used as a guidance for monitoring environmental conditions after a large-scale disaster. The IG said the plan should address monitoring objectives, preferred sampling and analytic methods for high-priority pollutants, siting of monitors, quality control and data reporting formats. ... (Inside EPA, September 28, 2005)
Senators Voinovich, Clinton Introduce First Responders Legislation ... Senators George Voinovich (OH) and Senator Hillary Clinton (NY), along with Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (NY) and U.S. Representative Christopher Shays (CT) today introduced legislation that would provide free medical screenings to first responders, volunteers, and emergency personnel who respond to national disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. "Through my own discussions with Ohio emergency personnel who responded to 9/11, I know that many of the Ground Zero first responders have experienced a variety of health problems, including respiratory illnesses, pneumonia and asthma. ... (Clinton News Release, September 21, 2005)
Nadler to Bush: Learn from the Mistakes of 9/11: Urges President, EPA, to protect Katrina victims from environmental dangers ... Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) today wrote to President Bush, urging him not to repeat the mistakes the federal government made after 9/11 as recovery efforts get underway on the Gulf Coast. Congressman Nadler, who represents Ground Zero, watched four years ago as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prematurely declared Lower Manhattan safe for reoccupation -- and now thousands are sick. Unfortunately, EPA's handling of the Katrina cleanup shows much of the same haste and denial. Among the most troubling signs that the federal government is taking a lax approach to cleanup are EPA's recommendation that average citizens tackle asbestos cleanup, the failure to provide emergency workers with respirators, and – perhaps most frightening – reports that the White House has appointed political guru Karl Rove to head the reconstruction effort. ... (Nadler News Release, September 21, 2005)
Lessons from 9/11 ... New York resident Kimberly Flynn has some advice for the citizens of New Orleans: take the EPA's word with a grain of salt. Flynn lived through the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and afterwards confronted the EPA multiple times about the contaminated dust left behind in many residential apartments. She talks with host Steve Curwood about lessons the EPA should learn from 9/11....(Living on Earth, 09/16/05)
Deutsche Bank's dismantling begins ... Just three days before the fourth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Governor George Pataki and Lower Manhattan Development Corporation officials announced that the deconstruction of the Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St. would begin. The former Deutsche Bank building has sat vacant, encased in black netting, since 9/11. The 40-story tower was heavily damaged during the attack and is contaminated with dust and debris containing asbestos, lead and other hazardous substances and contaminants. ... The demolition of 130 Liberty St. is a long time coming. A legal dispute between the building's owner and its insurers first delayed deconstruction. Then the L.M.D.C., which acquired the building in August 2004, had to wait for the E.P.A. to approve its deconstruction plan before any work could begin. That approval finally came through on Sept. 8. The deconstruction will take place in two phases. During the first phase, scaffolding will be erected around the exterior of the building. Once scaffolding reaches the 30th floor, the netting will be removed in sections. After the netting is removed, the façade of the building will be wiped clean by hand in a negative pressure environment. The building and all its porous contents — carpeting, ceiling tiles and sheetrock — will be considered asbestos contaminated and cleaned before leaving the building by way of a hoist on Albany St. ... The entire project is scheduled to be completed by early 2007, and will likely cost between $70 million and $85 million, said Lou Mendez, director of construction for the L.M.D.C. at a Sept. 7 Community Board 1 meeting. Throughout the demolition, the L.M.D.C. will monitor air on and around 130 Liberty St. with 12 air-monitoring stations located on the building's roof, on the scaffolding, on the ground and on surrounding buildings. Data from the air-monitoring stations will be available online. ... (Downtown Express, By Ellen Keohane, September 16 - 22, 2005)
Upper Respiratory Symptoms and Other Health Effects among Residents Living Near the World Trade Center Site after September 11, 2001 ... The authors investigated changes in respiratory health after September 11, 2001 ("9/11") among residents of the area near the World Trade Center (WTC) site in New York City as compared with residents of a control area. In 2002, self-administered questionnaires requesting information on the presence and persistence of respiratory symptoms, unplanned medical visits, and medication use were sent to 9,200 households (22.3% responded) within 1.5 km of the WTC site (affected area) and approximately 1,000 residences (23.3% responded) in Upper Manhattan, more than 9 km from the site (control area). Residents of the affected area reported higher rates of new-onset upper respiratory symptoms after 9/11 (cumulative incidence ratio = 2.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.88, 2.63). Most of these symptoms persisted 1 year after 9/11 in the affected area. Previously healthy residents of the affected area had more respiratory-related unplanned medical visits (prevalence ratio = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.13, 2.64) and more new medication use (prevalence ratio = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.75, 4.76) after 9/11. Greater impacts on respiratory functional limitations were also found in the affected area. Although bias may have contributed to these increases, other analyses of WTC-related pollutants support their biologic plausibility. Further analyses are needed to examine whether these increases were related to environmental exposures and to monitor long-term health effects. ... (American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 162, No. 6 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwi233; By Shao Lin1, Joan Reibman2, James A. Bowers1, Syni-An Hwang1, Anne Hoerning2, Marta I. Gomez1, and Edward F. Fitzgerald3; September 15, 2005)
Invited Commentary: Considering Bias in the Assessment of Respiratory Symptoms among Residents of Lower Manhattan following the Events of September 11, 2001 ... The report by Lin et al. (1) in this issue of the Journal presents data on past-year and past-month respiratory symptoms among residents of Lower Manhattan after the September 11, 2001, attack on and collapse of the World Trade Center, as compared with residents of Manhattan's Upper West Side. Residents of both areas were surveyed 8–16 months after the attack. The recorded frequency of symptoms after September 11 was higher in the exposed area than in the unexposed (or less exposed) area. The pervasiveness of the smoke, dust, and debris that permeated parts of Lower Manhattan for months after the September 11 attacks makes the respiratory tract irritation and symptoms reported by the residents in this study entirely plausible. While respiratory irritation and symptoms have been described in firefighters who were heavily exposed during these events (2), this study is noteworthy and laudable for its attempt to focus . . .(American Journal of Epidemiology; by David Vlahov and Sandro Galea, from the Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY; September 15, 2005)
Authors' Response ... We appreciate the observations made by Drs. Vlahov and Galea in their invited commentary (1) on our paper (2). Given that the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster was an unprecedented event, this was not a traditional epidemiologic study but rather a community health investigation designed to respond to the public's concerns, as well as the first step in examining the potential health effects on local residents. Many constraints made this study difficult to design, including a lack of baseline prevalence and exposure data and unknown mobility patterns. As we explain below, most of the problems discussed by Vlahov and Galea were considered in our article and addressed to the extent possible. Selection bias is one of their main concerns. Since a significant number of residents moved out of the affected area after September 11, the actual response rate might have been higher than estimated. In addition, the response rates were similar in the affected and control areas, and the demographic distribution of the participants was similar to that of the underlying population. To estimate selection bias, we targeted a subset of buildings in the affected and control areas for increased recruitment efforts and achieved higher response rates in both areas. The risk estimates from the targeted buildings, in which the samples are assumed to be more representative, were not only consistent with but also higher than those in the nontargeted buildings. Another potential problem is information bias. We reported that "we emphasized the importance of participation for people with and without breathing problems" and that we used "general terms such as ‘breathing or lung problems’ rather than specific terms like ‘asthma’ " (2, p. 505). We also stated that "we asked symptom questions not only qualitatively but also quantitatively, by including questions on specific time frames, severity, and frequency, which are less prone to recall bias" (2, p. 505). In addition, the symptom questions that we chose for the questionnaire have been validated in many epidemiologic studies. To reduce reporting bias, we asked participants about prescription medications and listed the names of the medications. We also used more objective measures by asking participants about new diagnoses by a physician, unplanned medical visits, and hospitalizations (including the dates and reasons for hospitalization). We checked the differences between the two areas for WTC-unrelated variables (e.g., physical disabilities) and excluded participants who responded affirmatively to every question. To estimate reporting bias, we compared the proportions of unplanned medical visits among participants with specific respiratory symptoms and found them be similar in the affected and control areas for most symptoms. Finally, as we described in another article (3), screening spirometry was conducted in some participants to validate self-reported symptoms. Although there were no significant differences between the affected-area residents and the control-area residents (screening spirometry might not be sensitive for this exposure), the results of a pilot methacholine challenge test showed a higher proportion of positive findings in the participants with persistent new-onset symptoms than in asymptomatic participants. ... We are conducting additional studies to address some of these concerns. A follow-up study will use nitric oxide in exhaled breath (eNO) as an objective measure of airway inflammation. Self-reported symptoms will be correlated with eNO measurements and validated. Another study will estimate changes in hospitalizations (an objective indicator of outcome) for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases before and after September 11, 2001, and compare the rates in both areas. ... (American Journal of Epidemiology, By S. Lin, J. Reibman, R. R. Jones, S.-A. Hwang, A. Hoerning, M. I. Gomez, and E. F. Fitzgerald; September 15, 2005)
Program Failed to Monitor 9/11 Workers, Report Finds ... Thousands of federal workers who helped untangle the wreckage of the World Trade Center may have never been examined or treated for medical problems stemming from the disaster, a Congressional report has found. The report, completed by the Government Accountability Office, said that the federal program that was supposed to monitor the workers was shut down more than a year ago and remains closed. The report, which was done at the request of local members of Congress, criticized the federal Department of Health and Human Services for suspending its efforts last March after screening only 394 of the estimated 10,000 federal workers who responded in an official capacity to the tragedy. It said the federal program "accomplished little" by starting late - a year after efforts to monitor state and local responders - and ending early. Though $3.74 million had been provided to the department, the report said, only $177,977 was spent on examinations. As a result, federal workers, including F.B.I. agents and forensics experts, might never have received a diagnosis or treatment for asthma or other ailments that have affected some Sept. 11 responders. ... Ms. Maloney added: "If you don't monitor, you don't know if there's a problem. We have to get the response right for 9/11, because it sets the precedent for other natural disasters." ... Given the patchwork of care, some veterans of the Sept. 11 recovery effort have begun to call for a centralized screening program for all workers and volunteers who toiled at the site. ... (NYTimes, by Damien Cave, September 10, 2005)
Report Blasts Federal Efforts To Monitor Health Of 9/11 Workers ... The program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services ended in March after only spending close to 180,000 of the nearly $4 million allocated for the program. ... (NY1, September 10, 2005)
Federal 9/11 Health Program "Accomplished Little," New GAO Study States: U.S. Rep. Maloney: 9/11 Health Needs Must be Met, Not Run From ... (Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, News Release, September 10, 2005)
Plan Finally In Place For Demolition Of Deutsche Bank Building ... It's taken four years, but a plan is now in place to remove a reminder of September 11th that still stands at the World Trade Center site. Crews can now begin the process of cleaning and taking down the Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street. ... (NY1, September 09, 2005)
Bank Building at Ground Zero Has Environmental Clearance ... The demolition plan for the shrouded and severely contaminated former Deutsche Bank building opposite ground zero was deemed acceptable yesterday by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, clearing the way for the scaffolding that will enclose the 41-story tower as it comes down. "We will begin deconstruction in the new year and take it down over the course of about 12 months," said Stefan Pryor, the president of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which acquired the building at 130 Liberty Street from Deutsche Bank last year. The structure was badly damaged on Sept. 11, 2001, and contains high levels of asbestos, lead, dioxins and other hazardous contaminants. It was never reoccupied. In November 2004, Gov. George E. Pataki said he was "pleased to announce that demolition will begin next month." But two months later, the environmental agency said the draft demolition proposal did not adequately guard against "significant potential for releases of contamination" and called for a "materially strengthened" plan. Since then, the number of air-monitoring stations has been increased to 12 from seven, and quality controls have been devised to govern how samples are taken and how data are analyzed and submitted, said Pat Evangelista, the World Trade Center coordinator at the environmental agency. He said the new plan would be "protective of the area's residents and workers." The development corporation has already awarded a cleanup and demolition contract to Bovis Lend Lease and a scaffolding contract to the Regional Scaffolding and Hoisting Company and the Safeway Environmental Corporation. ... (NYTimes, by David W. Dunlap, September 9, 2005)
Deutsche Bank building demolition set to begin: Four years after terror attacks, enshrouded building will come down a floor at a time ... Protracted legal and insurance battles held up the building's deconstruction, as did a review of the LMDC's plan by the Envionrmnetal Protection Agency, which halted a plan scheduled to begin eight months ago. Now, the LMDC's plan calls for a cleanup of the 40-story building -- which began yeterday -- and then dismantling each floor starting in 2006....At a Community Board 1 meeting the night before yesterday's announcement, LMDC officials said that details were still being worked out on 130 Liberty Street ....(Metro, by Amy Zimmer, September 9-11, 2005)
Downtown rebuilding grows with fits, starts. conotroversies ... Controversy seems to surround every step of the rebuilding plan... health concerns about the air downtown linger ... among this year's accomplishments, many of which were announced in the days and weeks leading up to the fourth anniversary of 9/11 ... the contaminated Deutsche Bank is being taken down ... (amNY, September 9-11, 2005)
N.Y. Deutsche Bank Tower Razing Starts, 8 Months Late ... Demolition of the contaminated Deutsche Bank building next to New York's World Trade Center began today, eight months behind schedule, after the U.S. Environmental Agency approved a plan to safely take down the 40-story tower, New York Governor George Pataki announced. The building, heavily damaged by the collapse of the twin towers in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, has been covered in a black shroud while awaiting demolition. Plans for the work, originally scheduled to begin in January, had to be revised after the EPA found there weren't adequate safeguards against the release of toxic substances into the area. .... Once the scaffolding is complete late in the year, said Charles Maikish, director of the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, workers would then place one floor at a time under ``negative pressure.'' ... Wrapped: Under that procedure, floors will be wrapped in plastic and machines will assure that the air inside is under less pressure than the air outside. That way, in case the barrier is breached, outside air would get in rather than presumably polluted inside air getting out. ... One-Year Project: Maikish, who as command center director oversees more than 30 construction projects in and around Ground Zero, said the demolition will be completed ``on time and on budget.'' Stefan Pryor, development corporation president, said the building would take about a year to tear down. ... (Bloomberg News, By David M. Levitt, September 8, 2005)
Demolition of Deutsche Bank tower finally starts ... Demolition of the heavily damaged tower would remove a constant reminder of the terrorist attacks.... Deutsche Bank and its insurers were tied up in a legal battle for more than two year before the governor asked former Sen. George Mitchell to mediate. ... "We've worked closely with the community, the EPA and other regulatory agencies to ensure that this process is carried out with the utmost care," LMDC President Stefan Pryor said in a statement.The first phase of the demolition will include putting up scaffolding and hoists, erecting perimeter fencing and cleaning and removing all interior surfaces and non-structural elements. Phase Two will be the actual floor-by-floor deconstruction and is scheduled to start early next year. (Crains, by Catherine Tymkiw, September 08, 2005)
EPA Accepts LMDC Plan to Deconstruct Former Deutsche Bank Building .... After months of leading a concentrated federal, state and local agency review of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's (LMDC) plans to deconstruct the former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has accepted the final plan to first clean up and then take down the building. Throughout the process, EPA, the New York State Department of Labor, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York City Department of Buildings, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have worked to ensure that the building would be deconstructed following procedures that protect people's health. .... EPA has taken the lead in coordinating regulatory agency review of and input into plans to demolish or deconstruct a number of Lower Manhattan buildings known to have been breached by the World Trade Center collapse and not fully cleaned or reoccupied. The agencies have made the building owners aware of their legal obligations to conduct the demolition/deconstruction work in a manner that protects people's health. EPA has reviewed and provided comments on plans for 4 Albany Street, 130 Cedar Street, 133 - 135 Greenwich Street, 21 - 23 Thames Street, as well as the Fiterman Hall building at 30 West Broadway. (EPA News Release, September 8, 2005)
Pollution and Deception at Ground Zero: Why It Could Happen Again ... Updated Ground Zero Report Examins Failure of Grovenment to Protect Citizens (Sierra Club report, September 7, 2005)
Dusted: Long after 9-11, some people say the dust is still making them sick. Now they want the EPA to do something about it. ... But activists say the EPA has produced a plan so seriously flawed that it appears designed to find as little remaining pollution as possible. And the less the EPA finds, the less it has to clean up. No one knows for a fact whether Trade Center dust lingers downtown. But as Catherine McVay Hughes, a Lower Manhattan resident who sits on the EPA board, points out, what people do know doesn't allay their concerns. To date, a handful of tall buildings have been deemed so heavily contaminated that they've been slated for demolition. Some neighboring buildings have been deemed in need of years-long cleanup. Others have seen no cleanup at all. At the very least, McVay Hughes says, the community wants a sampling plan that answers the questions, once and for all. "We expect the EPA to design a plan that will look for the dust, find it, and clean it up." ... (Village Voice, by Kristen Lombardi, September 6th, 2005)
Ailments, struggles of 9/11 EMT who died not unique: For many rescue workers, disaster still strikes in the aftereffects of 9/11 ... EMT Timothy Keller would have understood why two of those closest to him had to leave halfway through his funeral. Hunched over a plastic tube in the back of an ambulance outside St. James Church in Seaford, emergency medical technicians Karin DeShore and Bonnie Giebfried sucked on albuterol to open up their seizing airways. ... Keller, who had been an EMT with the New York City Fire Department and a volunteer firefighter and EMT in Levittown where he lived, died at age 41. In clinical terms, the Nassau County medical examiner's office said his death was the result of "congestive heart failure due to hypertensive and atherosclerotic heart disease and associated conditions, ... chronic asthmatic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema." But his friends and colleagues said they know the cause of his death. As the Rev. John McCartney said to the several hundred gathered at the funeral: "Tim is a casualty of September 11. His death merely took longer to occur." Along with countless other men and women that morning, Keller raced to the Twin Towers with the goal of saving lives. In the end, he couldn't save himself. Nearly four years later, he died almost penniless in his Levittown apartment, unable to take care of himself, supported by his fellow EMTs. ... (NYNewsday, by Ridgely Ochs, September 4, 2005)
Assembly Seeks To Help Those Injured on 9/11: Compensation Claims Being Denied At 'Alarming' Rate ... Two members of the State Assembly announced Aug. 24 that they've crafted legislation to speed sick or injured Sept. 11 responders through the state's Workers' Compensation system. Co-sponsors Scott Stringer and Jonathan Bing said during a press conference at the World Trade Center site that the legislation was necessary because of the "alarmingly high" rate at which such claims were being challenged by insurers. (The Chief, by Ginger Adams Otis, September 2, 2005)

AUGUST

Czar readies for five-year construction plan ... L.M.C.C.C. released a request for proposals for a program management firm to create a master coordination program. The bid will be awarded in mid-September. The center will coordinate with developers and city agencies to minimize the number of times a street is torn up and repaved and to enforce city and state construction and environmental laws. The center is in the process of developing a contract with standardized language that requires developers to use low sulfur diesel fuel, includes restrictions on idling equipment, dust control and "a host of commitments like that are required." The center also launched an air-monitoring program — two of the monitors were recently installed — to check the air for construction-related dust. It will also monitor the air for asbestos and other fibrous, demolition-related materials on a site-specific basis, such as around Fiterman Hall, a W.T.C. contaminated building facing demolition on West Broadway. ... (Downtown Express, by Ronda Kaysen, August 26-September 1, 2005)
New Bill Clears Way For 9/11 Workers To Claim Workers' Compensation ... New legislation proposed by two local lawmakers would make it easier for September 11th workers and volunteers to get workers' compensation. To get compensation, claimants would have to prove they worked at the World Trade Center site, Fresh Kills landfill or barges that transported debris from the site. They would also need medical evidence of an illness. The bill would also allow previously rejected claims to be re-heard. "This bill is long over due," said Assemblyman Scott Stringer, who co-wrote the bill with Assemblyman Jonathan Bing. "We believe that a campaign must begin to make sure those workers and volunteers have the ability to survive given all they have sacrificed both on 9/11, after 9/11, and within the year of the cleanup." The bill also removes the two year statute of limitation for workers' compensation claims. (NY1, August 25, 2005)
Letter from Maloney to Leavitt and Chertoff .... I am sure that we can all agree that the health of every individual who responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11,2001, must remain a priority. It is clearly disturbing that, four years after the attack, it seems that federal employees' health care is not being addressed.Considering the importance of this issue, I urge your immediate attention to this matter. ... (August 25, 2005)
Bill Would Make it Easier to Get Health Benefits for 9/11 Rescuers: Island Electrician among Those Pressing for Measure Introduced by Pair of Manhattan Assemblymen ... Chronic respiratory ailments and psychological trauma have rendered Andrew Porazzo unable to work since he volunteered at Ground Zero, but the electrician from Dongan Hills considers himself lucky. Porazzo's union has covered his medical costs since he was diagnosed with pulmonary emphysema in October 2001, after climbing through the wreckage of the World Trade Center to help search for survivors. But many other sick responders have been denied compensation, or even seen their presence at Ground Zero disputed, Porazzo said. ... It also would remove the two-year statute of limitations on claims, allowing people with late-developing illnesses to seek help. ... (Staten Island Advance, by Ben Eben Newhouse, August 25, 2005)
Stringer & Bing to Introduce Workers' Compensation Bill Reducing Hurdles for 9/11 Responders: Bill Would Presume Ill Ground Zero Workers Eligible for Benefits ... Reps Maloney & Nadler to Hail Introduction, Ground Zero Responders to Join in Support ... Assemblymembers Scott Stringer (D-Manhattan), Chair of the Cities Committee, and Jonathan Bing (D-Manhattan), supported by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), will announce today the introduction of legislation in the Assembly to provide 9/11 workers and volunteers with presumptive eligibility for workers' compensation claims. Stringer introduced the legislation in response to the alarmingly high rate of 9/11 workers compensation claims being challenged, in fact twice the rate of typical claims, with 27% of 10,398 WTC Workers' Compensation claims being challenged. According to the legislation, if applicants provide evidence of being a 9/11 responder and medical evidence of suffering from an illness linked to the environmental and mental stresses due to 9/11, the Workers' Compensation Board should presume the link between such work and the illness, thus ending the exceptionally high rate of claim challenges. (News Release, August 24, 2005)
Preparation Begins for Razing Deutsche Bank's Ground Zero Tower ... The first steps toward demolishing lower Manhattan's Deutsche Bank Building, abandoned and cloaked in a black shroud since the Sept. 11 attacks, began today as work started to prepare for the raising of a scaffold around the 40-story tower. Workers will replace sidewalk sheds and create a concrete pad for an exterior elevator -- ``non-intrusive preparatory'' steps for dismantling the contaminated tower across Liberty Street from the World Trade Center site, said project manager Emily Brown in a statement from the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. No actual demolition will happen until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves a revised plan, she said. .... The agency is still waiting for EPA to approve its latest plan revisions, which were submitted Aug. 8 in response to 44 pages of EPA criticisms made last month. Among the proposals that came under criticism was the agency's intent to take only 60 samples of settled dust for the 1.4 million square-foot building, originally the home of Bankers Trust Corp., which was acquired by Deutsche Bank. Mary Mears, an EPA spokeswoman, said development corporation and EPA officials have been meeting ``practically on a daily basis'' to work out these and other remaining issues. She said she expects a mutually acceptable plan to be worked out ``soon, well before'' the end of the year. ``Everybody feels this is working out nicely now,'' Mears said. Development agency officials have said they expect the tower to be gone by early 2007. ... (Bloomberg News, By David M. Levitt, August 24, 2005)
Physical and Mental Health Symptoms Among NYC Transit Workers Seven and One-Half Months After the WTC Attacks ... Results: Workers in the dust cloud at the time of the WTC collapse had significantly higher risk of persistent lower respiratory (OR¼9.85; 95% CI: 2.24, 58.93) and mucous membrane (OR¼4.91; 95% CI: 1.53, 16.22) symptoms, depressive symptoms (OR¼2.48; 95% CI: 1.12, 5.51), and PTSD symptoms (OR¼2.91; 95% CI: 1.003, 8.16) compared to those not exposed to the dust cloud. Additional WTC exposures and potential confounders were also analyzed. Conclusions: Clinical follow up for physical and psychological health conditions should be provided for public transportation workers in the event of a catastrophic event. ... The majority of symptomatic workers exposed to the dust cloud had improvement of most of their physical symptoms, but 10%-25% reported that they continued to experience persistent mucous membrane and/or respiratory symptoms 7½ months post-WTC disaster. ...(CIH American Journal of Industrial Medicine 47:475-483 (2005); b By Loren C. Tapp, MD, etc...)
Dark Day, Big City: On McInerney's New Book, a Blanket of Dust ... (NYTimes, by Edward Wyatt, August 22, 2005)
Upper Respiratory Symptoms and Other Health Effects among Residents Living Near the World Trade Center Site after September 11, 2001 ... Residents of the affected area reported higher rates of new-onset upper respiratory symptoms after 9/11 (cumulative incidence ratio = 2.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.88, 2.63). Most of these symptoms persisted 1 year after 9/11 in the affected area. Previously healthy residents of the affected area had more respiratory-related unplanned medical visits (prevalence ratio = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.13, 2.64) and more new medication use (prevalence ratio = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.75, 4.76) after 9/11. Greater impacts on respiratory functional limitations were also found in the affected area. Although bias may have contributed to these increases, other analyses of WTC-related pollutants support their biologic plausibility. Further analyses are needed to examine whether these increases were related to environmental exposures and to monitor long-term health effects. ... (August 17, 2005; American Journal of Epidemiology 2005 162(6):499-507; doi:10.1093/aje/kwi233; Shao Lin1, Joan Reibman2, James A. Bowers1, Syni-An Hwang1, Anne Hoerning2, Marta I. Gomez1 and Edward F. Fitzgerald3)
Congress Plans NY 9/11 Meeting ... Congress will hold a special hearing in Lower Manhattan on Sept. 10 to address the lessons learned from 9/11 and the ongoing health problems of survivors. "We want to know what we have been doing right and what we have being doing wrong," Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), chairman of a House subcommittee on national security and the hearing organizer, told amNewYork. In addition to discussing anti-terror initiatives, the hearing will address the public health impacts of the World Trade Center collapse. ... New York County Lawyers' Association's office, on Vesey St. "The folks who worked in the area were told it was safe and it wasn't safe," Shays said. Many first responders continue to struggle with respiratory ailments, sinus problems and other diseases, said Jonathan Bennett, spokesman for New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. (amNewYork, by Chuck Bennett, August 19, 2005)
Workers face post-9/11 sickness: Life has not been easy after cleaning up Ground Zero, said one soft-spoken Polish immigrant Tuesday night. ... Speaking at the Polish Consulate of the Republic of Poland in New York City, the man said he has been in the hospital six times in the past two years. He is also unable to work due to his sickness, which he and others believe was caused by the toxic mixture of dust at Ground Zero. Such is the plight of numerous Polish immigrants in New York City who served as rescue and recovery workers at Ground Zero after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Tuesday night's meeting was aimed at shedding light on the increasing number of illnesses among these workers and finding them more help. St. Mark's Place Institute for Mental Health, also known as Unitas, helped organize the event. "The illnesses are getting worse," said Peter Turco, clinical director of St. Mark's. "They've got pulmonary and respiratory problems." ... "The events of Sept. 11 have started to take their toll. Many have asthma and deal with wheezing and other respiratory issues." Turco and Gruchacz both referenced several recent deaths in this Polish immigrant community, which they think are related to Ground Zero-caused illnesses. Another Local 78 worker who spoke during the evening said he knows that some of the undocumented workers who worked at Ground Zero and then returned to Poland have since died ... (Disaster News, August 17, 2005)
Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., will convene a hearing of a House government reform subcommittee in lower Manhattan on Sept. 10 ... Members of Congress will hold a rare hearing in New York City on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack to examine long-term health effects for ground zero workers. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., will convene a hearing of a House government reform subcommittee in lower Manhattan on Sept. 10, aides said Wednesday. The House Government Affairs panel is inviting officials from the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, the Government Accountability Office and Mount Sinai Hospital. The hearing comes as the federal government is poised to take back some $125 million in unspent Sept. 11, 2001, aid that Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-Manhattan, argues should be redirected to caring for those with long-term health problems resulting from their exposure to toxic materials at the site where the World Trade Center's twin towers collapsed. (1010 WINS, Aug 17, 2005)
EPA goes mum to all media ... Wendy Thomi, the agency's community involvement coordinator for the Libby project, announced that she will be leaving for a temporary assignment working on the agency's project at the World Trade Center site in New York. She said a new community involvement coordinator will be assigned to Libby by the regional office in Denver. ... (Western News, Aug 12, 2005)
Firm in collapse back to building ... A mob-linked wrecking company hit with three violations after the near deadly collapse of a Manhattan supermarket is set to resume work on the controversial project. Safeway Environmental has been under investigation since July when an upper West Side building it was demolishing caved in, burying an infant under tons of debris. But that hasn't stopped Extell Development from tapping the firm, which has ties to a reputed Gambino crime family associate, to finish the botched job. ... (NYDaily News, by Tracy Connor, August 12, 2005)
Risk Assessment for Asbestos-Related Cancer From the 9/11 Attack on the World Trade Center ... Objective: We sought to estimate the lifetime risk of asbestos-related cancer for residents of Lower Manhattan attributable to asbestos released into the air by the 9/11 attack on New York City's World Trade Center (WTC). ... Conclusions: The cancer risk associated with asbestos exposures for residents of Lower Manhattan resulting from the collapse of the WTC is negligible.( Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 47(8):817-825, August 2005; Nolan, Robert P. PhD; Ross, Malcolm PhD; Nord, Gordon L. PhD; Axten, Charles W. PhD; Osleeb, Jeffrey P. PhD; Domnin, Stanislav G. MD, DSc; Price, Bertram PhD; Wilson, Richard DPhil)
Bovis Is Awarded Deal to Demolish a Tainted Tower at Ground Zero ... Bovis Lend Lease, a construction company that arrived at ground zero on Sept. 12, 2001, and stayed more than 10 months as part of the excavation and debris removal project, was awarded a $75 million contract yesterday to clean and dismantle the contaminated former Deutsche Bank tower at 130 Liberty Street. The two-year contract was approved by the board of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which acquired the 41-story building opposite ground zero to raze it as part of the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. Last month, the corporation awarded a $13.1 million scaffolding contract to a joint venture of the Regional Scaffolding and Hoisting Company and the Safeway Environmental Corporation. The deconstruction project should take 16 months after completion of a final plan, said Irene Chang, the corporation's general counsel. The estimated time and cost of demolishing 130 Liberty Street have steadily increased in recent months as the extent of contamination has become clear. Consultants to the corporation have confirmed that the tower has excessive levels of asbestos, dioxin, lead, silica, quartz, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chromium and manganese. An earlier $45 million deconstruction contract was canceled in May. "It's more difficult to tear down a building than to build a building," said Roland W. Betts, a member of the corporation board. Last month, the corporation reached a settlement with two insurers of the Deutsche Bank building, the Allianz Global Risks U.S. Insurance Company and the AXA Corporate Solutions Insurance Company, under which the corporation would pay the first $50 million of the deconstruction costs and the insurers would pay 75 percent of the additional costs. (NYTimes, by David W. Dunlap, August 12, 2005)
Demolition Of Deutsche Bank Building At Ground Zero Finally Moving Forward ... Construction crews are taking the first steps toward demolishing the Deutsche Bank building, which was badly damaged in the World Trade Center attacks, almost four years ago. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has gotten permission from the Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies to begin construction of sidewalks and fences in preparation for the demolition. Real work can not be done on the building until the EPA deems the site clean of harmful debris, mold, and construction materials. (NY1, August 9, 2005)
LMDC Plans Prep Work for 130 Liberty Deconstruction ... Non-intrusive preparatory work is expected to begin today on the 130 Liberty St. site, commonly referred to as the Deutsche Bank building. While completing revisions to the deconstruction plan, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. felt that "the critical path component of this project remains the scaffolding system" and requested approval to begin the prep work for the scaffolding erection. The work "does not in any way penetrate contaminated surfaces or require any abatement work in order for safe execution," stresses LMDC project manager Kate Millea. LMDC has requested approval to install sidewalk bridges, a perimeter site fence and a concrete pad for the hoist. A request to install hanging rigs support frames was denied pending approval of the completed deconstruction plan. ... The LMDC anticipates the prep work will be completed within two weeks. No further work will occur until either the deconstruction plan is approved or additional non-intrusive prep work is deemed necessary. (GlobeSt.com, By Barbara Jarvie, August 9, 2005)
Ground Zero Workers Missing Out On Free Medical Care ... Workers at the World Trade Center site are eligible to participate in a free comprehensive medical monitoring program, but many—especially undocumented immigrants—have not participated or have only received an initial checkup, according to a Queens scientist who helps run the program. Nearly four years after 9-11, many of the people who participated in cleanup and rescue efforts at Ground Zero still have health problems or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder due to their exposure to the site, said Dr. Steven Markowicz, director of the Center for Biology and Natural Systems at Queens College. Less than 900 out of the estimated 3,000 Ground Zero workers who live in the borough have participated in the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program, Markowicz said. The program offers free, comprehensive medical examinations over a five-year period. "We want people who have symptoms to participate," he said, "but we also want people who are concerned they may develop something in the future and need to be monitored for early protection. We want to do more outreach among Hispanic workers in Queens who worked around Ground Zero and weren't availing themselves of program." ... Even people who feel fine should call the program and schedule a checkup, Markowicz said. "We want to know why some people came out fine and others are sick. It will help us understand catastrophes like the World Trade Center." For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program's phone bank at 888-702-0630 or visit the web site at wtcexams.org. The program has six testing locations in New York City and Long Island, including one at Queens College. The Latin American Integration Center offers workshops on health issues and immigrant rights, free legal clinics for workers, English classes, and math and reading classes for children. For more information, call 917-907-4540. (Queens Chronicle, by Ron Brownlow, August 4, 2005)
Workers with 9/11-Related Illnesses Pledge to Fight for Healthcare for As Long As It Takes ... On July 21 a busload of workers who are sick as a result of their rescue, recovery and cleanup work at Ground Zero traveled to Washington to lobby members of Congress about the desperate need that they and thousands of others have for medical care. "It's unacceptable that workers who were honored as heroes cannot get medical care for the conditions they now have as a result of their bravery and selflessness," said Lee Clarke, safety and health director of District Council 37, who organized the New York participants in the lobbying day. "Not to mention that another reason they are sick is that the government told them that the air was safe." ... (NYCOSH, August 4, 2005)
EPA Plans to Sample Lower Manhattan for 9/11 Contamination Are Faltering ... Efforts to determine the extent of 9/11 contamination that remains in and around Lower Manhattan and to safely demolish a 40-story building that is badly contaminated as a result of the World Trade Center's collapse are both faltering in the face of criticisms from workers and residents. Plans to look for toxic World Trade Center debris and clean it up, which have been debated by an EPA advisory committee for more than a year, are still incomplete. Representatives of workers and residents in Lower Manhattan have criticized the EPA's draft program as being unworkable. ...Soon after the meeting, however, EPA announced that it would no longer provide any funds for a community based participatory research (CBPR) program, which had allowed the World Trade Center Community-Labor Coalition to hire a part-time staff person and pay for expert assistance and consultation. Experts hired by the community with EPA funds produced a detailed examination of the EPA sampling plan, including proposed ways to improve it. When asked to explain the reason for cutting off the funding, an EPA spokesman said "the process didn't work." "It's hypocritical of EPA to say the process didn't work," said Micki Siegel de Hernandez, who is a community liaison on the EPA advisory committee and safety and health director of Communications Workers of America District 1. "On numerous occasions the community requested meetings with EPA to discuss ways to make the process work better, and EPA always refused to meet." ... (NYCOSH, August 4, 2005)
Building Collapse on 100th Street Upsets Plans to Demolish 9/11-Damaged Office Tower ... In addition, Safeway has what appears to be a clandestine relationship with another demolition company, Big Apple Wrecking, which has an even worse safety record. Big Apple was listed by NYCOSH as one of New York City's "ten worst OSHA violators" in both 1999 and 1998. Big Apple and Safeway have their offices in the same Bronx building. When a reporter from the New York Times called Safeway's telephone number, an answering machine said that he had reached Big Apple Wrecking. A great deal of Safeway's equipment is leased from Big Apple, which owns it. The owner of Big Apple Wrecking has been convicted twice of crimes relating directly to the demolition business, once for bribing an inspector to ignore asbestos violations and for wire fraud in a bid-rigging scheme that involved members of the Gambino crime family. As a result, Big Apple is disqualified from bidding on public contracts. When Safeway bid on a school construction job in 2003 and the city's School Construction Authority began to investigate Safeway's ownership, Safeway abruptly withdrew the bid, bringing an end to the investigation. As a result of Safeway's poor safety record and its apparent connection with organized crime, residents and workers in Lower Manhattan are questioning the decision to hire it to monitor the air for contaminants. ... (NYCOSH, August 4, 2005)
Faulty mask was used after 9/11 ... a filter on a protective respiratory mask, recalled for letting in three times as much dust as is federally allowed, was donated by the thousands to ground zero workers after 9/11, a volunter said yesterday. The Survivair P100filter used with Pro-Tech masks was recalled in June after an audit by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that the seal connecting the mask to the filter lets in 0.09% of the particles, over the 0.03% federal limit....(AMNewYork, August 4, 2005)
Dust Masks Used At WTC After 9/11 Attacks Are Recalled ... Some of the dust masks used at the World Trade Center by emergency workers on 9/11 have been recalled. The manufacturer of the Survivair P-100 filtration mask says that tests done by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have revealed that the seal where the filter meets the mask lets in three times the permitted amount of dust and particles. The company says that only some of the units were defective, but since thousands of the masks were in use at the WTC site, there's no way to know how many people used them. The masks used at the WTC site had been donated for free. They were used during the rescue operation and subsequent clean-up by emergency personnel ranging from police officers and firefighters to ironworkers and construction crews. Since then, numerous emergency workers and volunteers have reported medical problems ranging from asthma to serious lung ailments. (NY1, August 3, 2005)
9/11 rescue workers plead for fund restoration ... Rescue workers suffering from post-9/11 ailments and several local politicians called on Congress Tuesday to restore $125 million of proposed cuts to the workers' compensation fund. "I'm embarrassed by the staggering lack of priorities in Washington," said U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) at a news conference at the Central Islip Fire Department. ... Jon Sferazo, a steel worker who cut through the twisted metal in search of bodies following the attacks, gasped Tuesday as he said, "Our government has left us behind." The Huntington Station resident lost 31 percent of his breathing and lung capacity during the World Trade Center cleanup. "By failing to help our heroes in their darkest hour sends the wrong message to America," Sferazo said. ... (NYNewsday LI, by Christian Murray, August 3, 2005)

JULY

EPA Likely To Adopt Ground-Zero Cleanup Plan Despite Local Objections ... EPA is poised to release a plan in mid-August for the sampling of contaminants in buildings surrounding the World Trade Center (WTC) site, despite heavy criticism from residents as well as a technical review panel. Panelists argued the draft contains fatal flaws at a recent public meeting, which is likely to be the last committee meeting before the plan's release. Members of Congress, community leaders and panel members have challenged the scientific validity of EPA's proposed strategy to test samples of dust in buildings that may require cleanup. They also say the plan will discourage building administrators from participating in the cleanup process, which they say is a fatal flaw. ... (Inside EPA, July 2005)
"Wait ' til next year" likely for Fiterman Hall demo ... CUNY hopes to submit a cleaning and demolition plan to the Environmental Protection Agency in the fall and then await approval from the regulatory agencies and the community sometime after that. ... Although there are two nearby examples of 9/11-contaminated buildings that underwent an E.P.A. review process before they were demolished, it is difficult to gauge how long a review process might actually take. Nearby 130 Liberty St., a 40-story tower that was also badly contaminated in the disaster, has endured a protracted review process. Nearly year after the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation purchased it with the intention of beginning to demolish it by the end of 2004, it is only now approaching the end of an E.P.A. approval process. However, a much smaller building, the 10-story 4 Albany St., was cleaned and demolished with much less fanfare. "We're looking to model this after 4 Albany St.," said Andrew Bachman, a vice president for Tishman, the construction company handling the demolition, at a recent Community Board ... The university anticipates it will take six months to clean the building of the asbestos, mercury, dioxin, P.C.B.s and mold that contaminated it when 7 W.T.C. collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. ... No one has set foot in the brick structure since shortly after the disaster. At this point, the university is relying on information from 2001 to gauge the extent of the contamination. But now, with the financing secured, CUNY expects to assess Fiterman Hall shortly to determine the extent of the contamination and damage. Once the building is cleaned, a six-month long process, it will most likely take five months to demolish the empty structure and another two years to build a Pei Cobb Freed-designed building in its place. (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, July 22 - 28, 2005)
Claim Link to 9/11 Serious Illnesses Multiply at EMS .... Three weeks after Emergency Medical Technician Tim Keller passed away from an illness his family and friends believe to be related to his work at Ground Zero, a 39-year-old female EMT underwent lung surgery for mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Like Mr. Keller, her Workers' Compensation claim was denied by the city. The EMT, who asked that her name be withheld while she recuperated, was also denied the line-of-duty pension that would have given her a paycheck until she recovered. ...Ms. Pizzitola said the Law Department's interpretation was a little vague. "It's two years from the date of diagnosis," she insisted. "Who knew that we were going to see clusters of breathing problems, cancers and other strange illnesses? We had doctors in New Jersey, Long Island, upstate who were unfamiliar with what they saw. It took a long time for people to start comparing information notes and finding that the common factor was World Trade Center exposure." ... Mr. Dahl, like many other EMS members, firefighters, sanitation workers, transit workers, and volunteers, has since been diagnosed with RADS — Reactive Airway Disease Syndrome — and esophageal reflux. His breathing capacity is severely limited. His personal pulmonologist said it’s indisputably related to 9/11. ... In January 2003, doctors found Synovial Sarcoma, a rare form of soft tissue cancer, in his throat. They operated a week later and successfully removed the growth. It's a type of cancer, Mr. Dahl was informed, mostly seen in clusters among residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It wasn't part of his claim to the city because his physician told him that unless other workers contracted the cancer, it couldn't be linked to 9/11 exposure. Mr. Dahl used his private insurance to pay for the surgery. "Thinking of My Family": "For a long time I didn't want to leave the job, because I love it. But I'm a trained medic, and I know what my chances are. I have to start thinking about my family," he said, referring to his wife and two daughters, ages 10 and 8. "All these nodules I have on my lungs that weren't there before, you think I don't know that in four or five years they'll turn cancerous? And you know what the city's going to tell me? "Oh, you had throat cancer, so that's a pre-existing condition." It's time to start looking out for myself.".... Mr. Vinciguerra was diagnosed with light asthma as a child, but had no serious respiratory problems until April this year. On 9/11 he was assigned to a Brooklyn firehouse, where he cleaned out the various first responder rigs that came in with windows blown out, full of ash. ... Familiar Symptoms: Later he was assigned to search and rescue work and occasionally sent to the Staten Island landfill. He developed the signature cough, started spitting up material at night, and then in April was hospitalized with a serious lung infection. Since then he's been unable to work, and has between one-quarter and one-half of his previous lung capacity. He's also been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, another common side-effect among 9/11 workers. His heart has to work so hard to get oxygen from the lungs that it's given him high blood pressure, his pulmonologist told him. "I never had high blood pressure before, but the FDNY doctors say they aren't sure it's from 9/11," he said. "I take seven different medications a day, including steroids, to help me breathe. I'll never be able to work again, and at least all the doctors agree about that. I was told that this will only get worse -- and maybe if I'm lucky stay about the same." ... But at least one sick EMT worker would be ineligible for that pension because she didn't accrue the requisite 40 hours at Ground Zero. Lynette Colbert, 48, diagnosed with sarcoidosis, has already been denied an FDNY line-of-duty pension and Workers' Compensation. She's living off her personal disability insurance while on medical leave. ... (The Chief-Leader, By Ginger Adams Otis, July 29, 2005)
NY workers struggle after 9/11 ... The 39-year-old emergency medical technician died due to illnesses his friends and family believed were caused by his work at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Calderon is finding more and more workers around the city that are also suffering ailments caused by the dust from Ground Zero. "Most of the health problems are respiratory, that's the big issue," said Calderon, immigrant project coordinator for the New York Committee for Occupation Safety and Health (NYCOSH). "There are sinus problems, throat problems, breathing problems - and a lot of them have developed asthma.".... The problem also does not just apply to workers who helped clean up at Ground Zero. An ongoing battle rages between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York City residents and current employees around the Ground Zero site over whether toxic dust lingers in offices, apartments, and maintenance areas where many service employees spend their time. A similar contentious issue is the demolition of other Manhattan buildings damaged on Sept. 11. On Tuesday, the EPA released its comments on the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's revised demolition plan for the heavily damaged skyscraper at 130 Liberty Street. Residents and lower Manhattan workers worry that if the demolitions are not properly coordinated and monitored by the EPA, the World Trade Center toxins within the buildings will once again be spread throughout their neighborhoods. ... (Disaster News, by Heather Moyer, July 28, 2005)
Collapse firm's record examined ... Safeway already had been under scrutiny from authorities, and the supermarket collapse has intensified that. Safeway is the subject of multiple investigations, from the Manhattan district attorney to the city's Department of Investigation. ... Safeway is located at the same address as Big Apple, and leases its equipment from a Greenberg-controlled firm, Dynamic Leasing, sources say. The Safeway Bobcat involved in the supermarket collapse belongs to Dynamic Equipment. ... The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. supervising Ground Zero cleanup had voted the very morning of the collapse to hire Safeway for a $3 million cleanup of the Deutsche Bank building. And Safeway was plugging away on several projects for Extell Development, a megadeveloper that had just announced it would compete against Nets owner Bruce Ratner for development of the Brooklyn railyards. Since the supermarket collapse, DOI probers have gone back to reexamine Safeway's arrangement with the Sanitation Department, sources say. On Friday, DOI spokeswoman Emily Gest confirmed the agency was looking into whether Safeway was adhering to its agreement with sanitation officials. She declined further comment. As a result of the collapse, some public officials have questioned whether Safeway should have been hired for work at Ground Zero. "Any company performing work on the Deutsche Bank building must do so with exquisite care," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan). "Is hiring a firm that has a record of serious violations, including its most recent one involving a building collapse, the most prudent choice for this project?" LMDC spokeswoman Joanna Rose said Safeway will not be doing structural work and added that the contract has not been finalized. ... (NYDaily News, by Greg B. Smith, July 24, 2005)
As Construction Boom Looms, City Starts Downtown Air Tests ... The Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, the city agency that will coordinate truck traffic, enforce environmental regulations and otherwise aim to ease the impacts of constant construction in the neighborhood over the next decade, began its task last month by launching a program to monitor air quality Downtown. The program began in late June with the installation of air sampling devices at several locations below Canal Street, near the sites of major construction projects, and will include the daily collection of air samples. Charles Maikish, the command center's director, presented a broad outline of the program to a committee of Community Board 1 last month. "The goal is to make sure that the air in Lower Manhattan is as good as it is anywhere else in Manhattan," he said. The sampling devices are meant to supplement the air quality monitors that will be set up on-site during the deconstruction of 130 Liberty Street and Fiterman Hall and at other construction projects. The machines are in northern and southern Battery Park City, in southern Tribeca, on Park Row near City Hall Park and in the Financial District. The devices test for particles in the air, and analysis of the samples will in most cases be able to determine where the particles come from. "We will be able to tell whether it is related to construction, or weather patterns, or even ship movement in the harbor," Maikish said. "If there is a spike in the readings, we have to determine why. If we determine that a contractor is not complying with environmental criteria, they will be shut down, period." Those criteria include the use of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel in off-road construction vehicles, limitations on idling times for diesel-powered engines, and dust-control measures at construction sites. ... (Tribeca Trib, by Barry Owens, July 2005)
Film Exposes Plight of 9/11 Rescuers ... While Washington continues to spend billions of dollars on its global "war on terror," thousands of ordinary people who took part in cleaning up the World Trade Centre site after the Sep. 11, 2001 attacks are left wondering if they will ever receive a single penny from the government for medical treatment. .... Kevin Mount, a sanitation engineer who worked to clear the rubble, told reporters at a press conference in February that his experience with the municipal workers compensation board was "one big runaround". After being hospitalised in February 2002 and diagnosed with restrictive airway disease, hepatitis C, sinusitis, gastric reflux disease and depression, Mount had to fight for three years to get assistance. ... (IPSNews, by Haider Rizvi, July 23, 2005)
Unions Skeptical of Downtown Clean-up .... Potentional Pitfalls: buildings that have invested in major decontaminationwork might deny further testing in order to avoid discovering that some toxins still linger. Fears of liability, disruption of services or difficulty with worker recruitment could also keep employers from participating in the EPA plan....Case Against Slag Wool: Dr. David Prezant, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Senior Pulmonary Consultant to the Fire Department, later suggested to the panel that the EPA could jumpstart the process by sampling 500 apartments without the controversial step of testing for slag wool.... (The Chief, by Ginger Adams Otis, July 22, 2005)
9/11 Volunteers Lobby House Members for $$: Former Ground Zero Workers Urge Officials to Push for Unspent Federal Aid to Help Compensation Claims ... The 44-year-old had watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center on television at the methane plant at Fresh Kills, where he was on a job. He volunteered to go to Ground Zero after union officials announced that high-voltage experts were needed there. But after working three days at Ground Zero and doing another month of clean-up duty at the World Trade Center debris site at the former Fresh Kills landfill, Porazzo knew something was terribly wrong. "I was having headaches and nosebleeds," he said. "I couldn't eat and I was losing weight." On Oct. 18, 2001, he was rushed to Staten Island University Hospital. "My lungs were on fire and I couldn't breathe," he explained. The diagnosis: A severe case of emphysema, apparently caused by exposure to the fumes at Ground Zero and Fresh Kills. He returned to work on light duty in January, but his symptoms, including violent stomach cramps and difficulty breathing, forced him to quit and apply for disability earlier this month. His expenses have been covered by his union, ... (Staten Island Advance, By Terence J. Kivlan, July 22, 2005)
'Shame' on feds for not giving 9/11 aid ... "The bottom line is nobody cares," said Mike McCormick, a paramedic who found the U.S. flag in the smoldering rubble that later flew over Yankee Stadium and was carried by the U.S. Olympic team. McCormick, who blames his respiratory and vision problems on the toxic fumes from The Pit at Ground Zero, was denied workmen's compensation by bureaucrats who said he couldn't verify his presence at the site - despite personal letters of thanks from President Bush and Gov. Pataki. "They had the audacity to say I wasn't there - what a kick in the teeth," McCormick said. ... Respiratory problems called RADS (Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome) were the most common complaint of the workers, but John Feal, a construction supervisor, lost half a foot to infection. ... (NYDaily News, by Richard Sisk, July 22, 2005)
Letter: Downtown Demolition ... Environmental advocates have long warned that in directing the environmental aspects of this hazardous demolition, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation was in over its head, and that the Environmental Protection Agency was the proper entity to take charge. The development corporation responded by protesting that it would be consulting with all relevant agencies and hiring only the most competent contractors. ... It is time for the E.P.A., which alone has the necessary expertise and authority, to take charge of this demolition. Otherwise, with business as usual, we have a potential environmental disaster in the making. (NYTimes, by Kimberly Flynn, July 21, 2005)
OSHA, NIOSH Stress Respirator Use And Selection at NRT Technical Seminar ... HAZWOPER details the levels of protective clothing required in an emergency. In a chemical or biological attack, only a NIOSH-approved CBRN SCBA respirator currently would be allowed under OSHA's respiratory protection regulations. The respiratory protection standard at 29 CFR 1910.134 requires a respiratory program, medical evaluation, fit testing, maintenance and care of respirators, training, program evaluation, and recordkeeping. ... In May 2004, OSHA also announced that it had developed a 16-hour training course for construction workers who might be called on to clean up sites after a natural disaster or future terrorist attack. Open to workers who have already taken the agency's 10-hour construction safety course, the course provides increased awareness of hazards such as bloodborne pathogens, unstable structures, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear exposures. (BNA Occupational Safety & Health Reporter, July 21, 2005)
Community Groups Push EPA to Better Address 9/11 Aftermath ... Nearly four years on, activists say the federal government has not properly determined and handled contaminants left over from attacks. A New York City-based coalition of labor, community and environmental groups is renewing its call for a more comprehensive testing and cleanup plan for hazardous contaminants still lingering in Lower Manhattan as a result of the collapse of the World Trade Center in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. For over a year, the coalition has negotiated and clashed with the Environmental Protection Agency over the scope and logistics of a plan to address potential indoor contamination from pollutants released in the disaster, which include lead, asbestos and other harmful substances. The EPA's most recent draft of the sampling plan, finalized on June 30, provides a blueprint for sampling the dust in buildings to determine the need for more extensive testing and cleaning procedures. But it faces criticism from the community for falling short in both assessing the contamination and allowing for public input in the process. ... (New Standard, by Michelle Chen, July 20, 2005)
WTC health program opens: Chinatown, Lower East Side groups partnered with Bellevue Hospital ... "Even after four years, many people have gone untreated," said Karah Newton. ... Yolanda Hernandez lives along the FDR Drive near Houston Street, miles away from the World Trade Center. Even so, on Sept. 11, 2001, the 51-yearold mother of three said she saw dust from the plume of toxic smoke created by the collapsing towers settle in her apartment. ... "I had trouble sleeping," Hernandez said, "I had trouble breathing and my doctor told me I had asthma, but couldn't tell me where it came from." And she wasn't the only one. Her youngest daughter, Jasmine Lopez, 23, also developed asthma after 9-11. And neighbors were suffering, too....Yesterday, they kicked off the start of the new program here, thanks to a two-year $2.4 million grant from the American Red Cross.... Parsing out those whose health was affected by 9-11 is challenging, said Joan Reibman, the doctor now heading this program. "It's very hard to do, because it's not like with the responders who were clearly in the center of it all. And the truth is, there are a number of illnesses we see not related to the World Trade Center, but we refer them for treatment, too."(Metro, by Amy Zimmer, July 19, 2005)
2nd Circuit: 9/11 Suits Destined for Federal Court: Appeals court advises judge to reclaim cases ... Lawsuits by firefighters and rescue workers who claim they suffered respiratory injuries at the World Trade Center site belong in federal, not state, court, a federal appeals court ruled last week. In a 46-page decision, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals questioned the reasoning of a Southern District judge who remanded to state court all suits dealing with injuries after Sept. 29, 2001, the day the World Trade Center rescue operation officially ended.... The true nature of the cap also will be a subject of dispute, now that Congress, the state and the city have created the World Trade Center Captive Insurance Company. The company is funded by $1 billion in federal money to indemnify the city and its contractors and sub-contractors against Trade Center claims. Tyrrell said the fund was not created to simply increase the liability of the defendants to $1 billion.... (New York Law Journal, by Tom Perrotta, 07-19-2005)
Outrage Over City's Treatment Of A 9/11 Hero ... Tim Keller was a veteran fire department medic. He died a few weeks ago from an illness his family and doctors believe is related to his exposure to the toxic pile at ground zero. At the time of Keller's death, he was also battling a bureaucracy that denied him benefits almost to the end. Jim Hoffer joins us with his investigation. FDNY medic Tim Keller saved many lives during his career, including his partners' during the World Trade Center attack. But when his life was threatened by lungs damaged during 9/11, no one, it seems, was watching his back. FDNY medic Tim Keller loved to help people. .... David Keller, Son: "Turning blue, coughing, not being able to breath and then just blacking out." As Tim Keller's son David explains, about a year after 9/11, his father got real sick. David Keller, Son: "He just got slower and slower and more tired, and always sleeping, for days at a time." He was diagnosed as having severe chronic asthmatic bronchitis. A lung specialist found the likely cause exposure to the World Trade Center disaster. But the city that so often benefited from Keller's bravery refused to recognize the connection and denied him workman's compensation and any 9/11 benefits. Too sick to work, he fell deep into debt, while prescriptions for much-needed medicine went unfilled. David Keller, Son: "How can you be denied 9/11 benefits when you were there? It doesn't make sense." Jim Hoffer: "Workman's comp?" David Keller, Son: "No, nothing." Finally, in April, the city began paying him a partial pension - $374 dollars a month. A few weeks ago, the 41-year-old Keller died from cardiac arrest, which his family and colleagues believe was caused by his prolonged battle to breath. .... (ABC7, July 19, 2005)
Medical Claims From 9/11 Are Assigned to Single Court ... Thousands of lawsuits alleging respiratory injuries by firefighters, police officers and other workers in cleaning up the contaminated debris of the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack will all be tried in Federal District Court in Manhattan, a federal appeals court in New York has ruled. Streamlining the process for a tangle of medical claims by those who worked at ground zero and other sites where the debris was taken, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held on Thursday that Congress had pre-empted state law remedies for damages and that one federal court, not both state and federal courts, should hear the claims, regardless of where or when the exposure to the debris occurred. ... A lawyer for the city, which also is a defendant, praised the ruling. "This is an important decision because it will ensure that all the litigation arising from the terrorist attacks is in one court, which will streamline the litigation and minimize the risk of inconsistent decisions by multiple courts," said Kenneth A. Becker, chief of the trade center unit of the city's Law Department. .... In lawsuits filed in State Supreme Court, many of them charged that the city and Port Authority had failed to monitor toxic conditions and to provide respiratory masks and other safety equipment, as required by state labor law.... (NYTimes, by Robert D. McFadden, July 18, 2005)
Health Program Expanded To Help Residents Affected By 9/11 Attacks ... Lower Manhattan residents who have suffered medical problems in the wake of the 9/11 attacks now have somewhere else to turn for help. Advocates say those who live outside the immediate area near the World Trade Center site have experienced serious health problems, including asthma and other respiratory ailments. Now, a coalition of non-profit groups and Bellevue Hospital is expanding a program to provide them with better health care. Almost 200 people have seen doctors at Bellevue already, and funding has been secured for more free care at the hospital. "The [Environmental Protection Agency] said the air was alright, but it wasn't, and that's why a lot of people weren't oriented by the government or by anyone," one New Yorker said Monday. "Even after four years, many people have gone untreated or have gotten a little bit of treatment or have not gotten their symptoms addressed, and so many people continue to cough and continue to have asthma attacks," said another. Residents can call the Lower East Side Workers Center at (212) 358-0295 to learn more about the health initiative. Insurance isn't necessary to enroll in the program. (NY1, July 18, 2005)
Cameras roll on the plight of forgotten 9/11 rescuers ... "People were touted as heroes. They were put on TV, the politicians standing next to them talking about the wonderful things that they had done," says Dr. Stephen Levin, co-director of the 27-minute program monitoring Ground Zero workers, "Never the Same." "But then, when those individuals became ill, essentially they were treated as the orphan children of society. Their needs were ignored," Levin says in the documentary, which was made by his son, Jonathan, and premiered last month on Capitol Hill. ... (NYDailyNews, by Michael McAuliff, July 17, 2005)
Demolition Company To Have Role Downtown ... Safeway Environmental Corporation, the demolition company cited for violations in Thursday's collapse of a half-demolished supermarket on the Upper West Side, will have a role in dismantling the Deutsche Bank building in Lower Manhattan, one of the most complex demolition jobs in the city, officials said ... (NYTimes, by Alan Feuer, July 16, 2005)
Firm is tied to Mafia: News finds poor safety record, too ... The Bronx firm demolishing a vacant supermarket that collapsed in upper Manhattan yesterday has links to the mob and has been cited for several safety violations during the last year, the Daily News has learned. Safeway Environmental Corp. is tied to Harold Greenberg, a twice-convicted felon who the FBI says is an associate of the Gambino crime family. Greenberg's Big Apple Wrecking and Safeway share the same Bronx address and phone number, and Safeway's equipment is leased from Greenberg's Dynamic Equipment, records show. Greenberg pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 1993 and was sentenced to 15 months for his role in a bid-rigging scheme involving Gambino-controlled demolition companies. He was convicted five years earlier of paying a $4,500 bribe to a federal inspector to ignore asbestos violations and was sentenced to two years in prison. Big Apple's ties to Safeway are well-known by the government. The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. put a monitor in place last year when it hired Safeway to do work on the Deutsche Bank building near Ground Zero to ensure Greenberg would not benefit, officials said. In February 2003, Safeway withdrew its application to bid on school projects after the School Construction Authority inspector general began asking questions about its ownership. A secretary at Safeway's number answered the phone "Safeway Big Apple Group" yesterday and took a message for Greenberg. He did not return the call. ... (NYDaily News, by Greg Smith, July 15, 2005)
Investigation Continues Into Upper West Side Building Collapse ... According to OSHA records, Safeway Environmental Corporation has been cited for problems in the past. Just four months ago in March, OSHA fined Safeway $25,000 dollars at a site in Philadelphia for serious and repeat violations of safety standards. The company is contesting those citations. ... According to officials, the violations were written had an automatic stop work order. There is no word when demolition could resume. According to officials, the investigation could take some time. (CBS, July 15, 2005)
Nanny's 'our hero' - parents: Injured woman weeps at praise ... The cause of the collapse is under investigation, with probers focusing on whether there was too much weight on the roof of the one-story building when demolition started Thursday. One factor in the disaster may have been the failure of the demolition firm, Safeway Environmental Corp., to remove a heating system from the roof. Investigators also want to know whether a Bobcat bucket loader on the roof - when the roof collapsed - was too heavy. Safeway had been issued a permit for a different piece of equipment, a Takeuchi 035. ... An hour before the collapse, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.'s board voted to award Safeway a $3 million contract to clean asbestos out of the Deutsche Bank building at Ground Zero. (NYDaily News, by Rich Schapiro, Greg B. Smith, Austin Fenner & Tracy Connor, July 15, 2005)
A Building Falls: The Overview; Demolition-Site Collapse Bueies 5, Including Baby; All Are Recovered Alive ... The cause was under investigation by the city Buildings Department, but witnesses and city officials said a heavy piece of demolition equipment on the roof of the one-story building may have been a factor. The city ordered the demolition work halted at the site ... (NYTimes, by Robert D. McFaden, July 15, 2005)
Ax ready to fall on 9/11 ills fund ... The cash was originally given to New York as part of an award to the state workers compensation system for people who fell ill after rushing to Ground Zero to help in the rescue. But the Bush administration demanded the money back when it was being spent too slowly - something that critics blamed on bureaucrats who didn't do their jobs. ...(NYDaily News, by Michael McAuliff, July 14, 2005)
EPA struggles with toxic WTC dust, bad rep ... Many who live and work downtown think agency's testing plan isn't good enough. LOWER MANHATTAN The Environmental Protection Agency suffers from a bad reputation among some people here. For more than a year, the agency has been locked in a debate with many who live and work in this neighborhood over a proposal to test for toxic dust created by the collapsing World Trade Center towers that may still be contaminating offices and residences here. Within a month, the EPA expects to finalize a testing scheme -- before beginning work on a clean-up plan — and, yesterday, the agency was peppered at a public hearing by locals who feel the plan is doomed to fail. Not only would that prolong health risks, but may also hamper the area's economic recovery. David Kallick, a senior fellow at the Fiscal Policy Institute, a Manhattan-based nonpartisan think-tank, emphasized the importance of testing. "Lingering questionsabout the safety of the area can also poison the atmosphere for business and residential growth," he said. ... (Metro, page 2, Amy Zimmer, July 13, 2005)
NYC cleanup criticized ... Linda Belfer is plagued by ailments that were not around before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. As she spoke to the World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel Tuesday, she sat in a wheelchair. "I now have allergies that I didn't have before," she said to the panel. "My immune system has taken a shot -- and I'm in a wheelchair." Belfer's apartment overlooks the World Trade Center site, and on Sept. 11, the dust cloud from the falling towers enveloped her building. She was unable to live in the apartment for four months. She worries that her apartment was never cleaned properly after the terrorist attacks, and that remaining dust will continue to deteriorate her health. "I am a victim, my neighbors are victims, we continue to be victims," she said. "God knows what the long-term effects will be on us." Panel members and the community continued to debate – at times very heatedly – the Environmental Protection Agency's revised sampling plan aimed at determining whether toxic dust blown throughout Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn on Sept. 11 remains. ... Another problem the Coalition saw with the proposed plan is the wipe sampling method the EPA plans to use for collecting organic dust compounds from carpets, upholstery and drapes. McVay Hughes read a quote from the American Society of Testing Method's Standard Practice for Field Collection of Organic Compounds Using Wipe Sampling. "This wipe sampling practice is not recommended for collecting samples of organic compounds from rough or porous surfaces such as upholstery, carpeting, brick, rough concrete, ceiling tiles, and bare wood. It is also not intended for the collection of dust samples or sampling to estimate human exposure to contaminated surfaces," she read. ... (Disaster News, by Heather Moyer, July 13, 2005)
Metro Briefing: MANHATTAN: TRADE CENTER CLEANUP REVIEW PLANNED A plan to test for slag wool, a type of insulating material used in the World Trade Center, as evidence that dust from the center is still present in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn will undergo a scientific peer review in the next several weeks, despite strong opposition from people who live and work in the buildings to be tested. Under the plan, 150 buildings would be checked for traces of slag wool to determine the extent of any future cleanup. E. Timothy Oppelt, interim chairman of the technical panel of experts advising the federal Environmental Protection Agency, defended the proposal and said it would be thoroughly reviewed by other independent experts. At the panel's hearing in Manhattan yesterday, residents and workers called the plan inadequate and scientifically unsound. In 2002, the federal agency oversaw the cleanup of 4,100 apartments, but there are concerns that those residences may have been re-contaminated, and that others that were never cleaned may pose a health hazard. (NYTimes, by Anthony DePalma, July 13, 2005)
E.P.A.'s new cleanup plan knocked ... The Environmental Protection Agency plans to sample buildings in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn for lingering dust from the World Trade Center disaster. But if employees want to see their workplaces sampled or cleaned and either their employer or building owner disagrees, the agency will not champion their cause. Workplaces are not E.P.A.'s domain, the agency insists in a near-final draft of its plan released last week. ... "Workers are completely cut out of this current plan," said Micki Siegel de Hernandez, health and safety director for Communications Workers of America District 1 and the alternate community liaison to the E.P.A. Expert Technical Review Panel, which was created in 2004 to address residual contamination concerns from 9/11. "E.P.A. is abrogating any responsibility and saying its OSHA's responsibility." The W.T.C. lies at the western edge of the Financial District -- the city's oldest business district -- and is teeming with workplaces. Despite the abundance of workers in the affected area, employees and their workplaces are the domain of OSHA, not an environmental agency, E.P.A. insists, and it is OSHA's responsibility to make sure workplaces are clean, safe and contaminant-free. ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, July 8-14, 2005)
"Lungs Were Destroyed": Cite 9/11 Exposure for EMT's Death ... A Retired Emergency Medical Technician who was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 passed away in his Long Island home June 23 from what colleagues believe was an ailment related to his work there. Union officials said that initial medical reports indicated he died from extreme pulmonary distress. Complete autopsy results are expected in a few days. "Coughed Up Gravel" ... He was the first EMS worker to die from prolonged health problems related to 9/11. For several days after his work at Ground Zero, Mr. Keller coughed up chunks of material he breathed in on the site, said Marianne Pizzitola, pension coordinator for Uniformed EMTs and Paramedics Local 2507. "You wouldn't believe how much sooty, dark stuff would come out of him," she said. "He'd cough up actual gravel. It was awful. His lungs were completely destroyed by the toxins he inhaled." The nonsmoking EMT quickly developed a persistent, nagging throat irritation. Soon it progressed into full-blown coughing fits that colleagues described as completely debilitating. He didn't retire from the Fire Department until November 2004, but had deteriorated rapidly after 9/11, said Ms. Pizzitola. "Kept Turning Blue" .... (The Chief, By Ginger Adams Otis, July 8, 2005)
Immunity for Makers of Dust Masks? ... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., says a torrent of lawsuits is sinking companies that make respirator masks for emergency workers during a terrorist attack or airborne epidemic. He is pushing a bill to grant the manufacturers immunity from injury suits if the federal government has certified a mask to be safe. But David Rosenberg, a Harvard University law professor, says Shuster's bill would set a "remarkable precedent," could be unconstitutional and "would be a big mistake." The bill's prime beneficiary could be 3M, the Maplewood-based manufacturing giant that has faced more than 408,000 injury claims over disposable dust masks it sold for more than 25 years. Jacqueline Berry, a 3M spokeswoman, said the company supports the bill but is not actively lobbying for it. Dan Shipp, president of a Virginia-based trade association to which 3M belongs, said he is lobbying for the bill. Last year, 3M said it had paid nearly $300 million to resolve about 300,000 respirator claims. As of March 31, it had resolved another 50,000 claims. About 58,000 claims were still pending, 3M reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission. It has ultimately prevailed in the only seven suits that went to trial. ... (Minneapolis Star Tribune Washington Bureau Correspondent, By Greg Gordon, July 6, 2005)
Clinton Criticizes EPA Plan to Recheck for Trade Center Toxins ... U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said federal plans to recheck lower Manhattan and nearby Brooklyn neighborhoods for toxic dust left over from World Trade Center attack don't go far enough to protect workers and residents. In a June 29 letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson, the New York Democrat said she is worried that the agency may make "arbitrary decisions'' to withhold cleanup from still-contaminated homes and offices. The letter was in response to a final draft of an EPA screening plan the agency issued in mid-May. ... (Bloomberg News, by David M. Levitt, July 1, 2005)

JUNE

Environmental Concerns With 9/11 Buildings: Some Surrounding Buildings Still Contaminated ... Asbestos, Lead, Mercury, dioxins, PCB's billowed through the streets that day and hovered in the air for months afterwards. But they also forced their way indoors through open windows and broken walls and today, four years later, present a serious health concern as demolition on three major buildings begins down here. There is a 10-story building at 4 Albany Street already coming down brick by brick. The larger 15 story building at 30 West Broadway on the North side of the site known as Fiterman Hall was part of the Boro of Manhattan Community College remains empty and sealed. The top of the building was badly damaged by the collapsing towers. The largest, though, is the Deutsche Bank Building, a 40 story toxic tower mostly shrouded in netting buy still displaying the open wound rendered by the trade centers fall. The insurance company wanted the bank to reoccupy the building, but the bank refused saying it was too contaminated. ... (WCBS-TV News, Jun 28, 2005)
Thousands of First Responders to Receive Services for Health Problems Related to September 11 ... The Fire Department of New York City and the Mount Sinai Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine are among seven organizations that were awarded recovery grants to enhance existing government-funded programs that screen and monitor World Trade Center responders but do not cover their treatment costs. They reflect the Red Cross's strategic, short-term support for public and private sector efforts to address the needs of the people who were most seriously affected by the events of September 11. ... (Occupational Health and Safety, June 22, 2005)
9/11 helpers getting 16M ... The Red Cross announced yesterday it will distribute $16 million to help 9/11 first responders as city officials blasted the White House for not doing enough. The money, which will come from the $1 billion raised by the agency in the aftermath of the terror attacks, will fund health services and other assistance to an estimated 15,000 people, including firefighters, medics, cops and volunteers. ... At Mount Sinai, which already screened and diagnosed disaster workers, $6.2 million will be used to fund treatment. Roughly 40% of the 11,000 workers screened don't have health insurance. ...(NYDailyNews, by Jimmy Vielkind, June 21, 2005)
Letter To Honorable Bolten ... an accounting from OMB as to how the President plans to fulfill his promise of providing at least $20 billion in aid to New York, and .... President's plans are to help the heroes of 9.11 who are now sick and need our help. ... Pleasek know that this is important because a number of unmet needs remain. One of the most pressing needs is the health of 9/11 responders as well as the health of area residents and workers. ... (From Congress Members Maloney, Nadler, Lowey, Hinchey; June 21, 2005)
First Responders to Receive Medical and Social Work Services for 9/11 Problems ... An estimated 15,000 people who responded to the scene of the World Trade Center collapse will receive medical and social work services over the next 2 years for health problems related to the disaster through September 11 recovery grants totaling more than $16 million from the American Red Cross Liberty Disaster Relief Fund. The Fire Department of New York City and the Mount Sinai Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine are among seven organizations that were awarded recovery grants to enhance existing government-funded programs that screen and monitor World Trade Center responders but do not cover their treatment costs. They reflect the Red Cross's strategic, short-term support for public and private sector efforts to address the needs of the people who were most seriously affected by the events of September 11. ... For as long as 9 months, they were exposed to a mix of dust debris, smoke and chemicals. Many are under-insured or uninsured individuals who suffer from a variety of symptoms, including difficulty breathing, gastrointestinal problems and debilitating back pain. These temporary grants will help pay for the additional diagnostic tests and medications currently not covered by the federal government as well as provide funding for ancillary services, including programs that will assist them in applying for workers' compensation and disability. The grants are part of nearly $90 million that the American Red Cross September 11 Recovery Program (SRP) projects it will award to established, non-profit organizations from now until 2007. ... (Homeland Response, 06/21/2005)
Where Time Is Stopped at Sept. 11: At Condemned Deutsche Bank Building, Eerie Emptiness ... The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which acquired 130 Liberty Street expressly to raze it, permitted this reporter and a photographer -- in respirators and double layers of polyethlene body suits -- to visit sealed-off areas on eight floors of the building....(NYTimes, by David W. Dunlap, June 20, 2005)
Lawmakers Say Feds Reneged on Promise; Red Cross Funds $16 Million in WTC Grants ... The grantees include the Fire Safety and Education Fund of the Fire Department, which will receive $5 million to aid firefighters and emergency medical workers who were exposed to toxins at the trade center site; the Mount Sinai Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, which will receive $6.2 million to expand its treatment and diagnostic programs for people affected by the attacks; and Bellevue Hospital Center, which will receive $2.4 million for evaluation and treatment for lower Manhattan residents. The Long Island Occupational and Environmental Health Center at Stony Brook University will receive $1.2 million for services for first responders who live on Long Island, while smaller grants will go to the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Queens College. (AP, by Karen Matthews, June 20, 2005)
Sept. 11 responders press Congress not to withdraw $125 million ... For more than a month, Jon Sferazo, a structural ironworker, sifted through piles of smoldering iron at Ground Zero in search of Sept. 11 survivors. "We were there without questioning," he said at a news conference Thursday, gasping because of a loss of breathing capacity. "In my mind I kept thinking if it was me or one of my loved ones, I would want everything that could possibly be done to get them out." ... Five Sept. 11 responders spoke about how after $44 million in federal funds have been spent, many have not been adequately compensated. ... (NY Newsday, June 17, 2005)
9/11 workers decry fund loss ... For more than a month, Jon Sferazo, a structural ironworker, sifted through piles of smoldering iron at Ground Zero in search of Sept. 11 survivors. "We were there without questioning," he said at a news conference yesterday, gasping because of a loss of breathing capacity. "In my mind I kept thinking if it was me or one of my loved ones, I would want everything that could possibly be done to get them out." Now Sferazo, of Huntington Station, needs help with medical bills, but Congress plans to withdraw $125 million in unspent workers compensation funds allotted to New York State. Five Sept. 11 responders spoke about how, after $44 million in federal funds have been spent, many have not been adequately compensated. ... Other claims have been denied because applicants didn't file for help within 96 hours or didn't work in the center of the rubble. Sept. 11-related claims are turned down 10 times more often than average applicants' are, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan) said. ...(NYNewsday, June 17, 2005)
Plea to W: Don't stiff WTC workers ... The House Appropriations Committee last night moved to cut the $125 million earmarked for workers' compensation and retraining - because it had not been spent. But the measure must still pass the House and Senate before the money would be lost. Noting that disability claims of workers who toiled at Ground Zero were being denied at a rate 10 times higher than regular workers' claims, Sen. Hillary Clinton suggested that the money be "held in trust" until the claims can be sorted out. (New York Daily News, by Michael McAuliff & Corky Siemaszko, June 17, 2005)
New law makes it easier to quality for 9/11 disability pensions ... Public employees disabled by conditions at the World Trade Center immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack can more easily qualify for disability pensions under legislation signed into law Wednesday by Gov. George Pataki. The new law also applies to firefighters and police officers who worked at least 40 hours at ground zero during the Sept. 11 rescue, recovery and cleanup operations. Public employees who suffered a physical injury within the first two days of the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center site are also eligible for the disability pensions. The workers have two years from Wednesday to apply for a disability pension with their retirement systems. The pensions would be at 75 percent of the workers' pay, and the new law allows employers to challenge the pension filings if they choose to. Medical conditions which qualify the workers for pensions include cancer, respiratory illnesses and some severe skin conditions, under the new law. ... (The Business Review, Joel Stashenko, June 15, 2005)
Pataki Extends Disability Benefits to 9/11 Workers .... Gov. George Pataki approved legislation Wednesday, June 15, that will make it easier for public employees who were involved in September 11 rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations to qualify for disability pensions. Under the new law, any disability resulting from specified injuries or illnesses contracted by 9/11 workers will be presumed to have been a result of performance of duty. The benefits will go to public employees and retirees who spent at least 40 hours at Ground Zero, the Fresh Kills landfill, or the city morgue as a result of the disaster. The bill covers a range of illnesses, including cancer, skin conditions, and respiratory ailments, as well as mental illness. A physical exam prior to involvement in the recovery work is required to verify that no such condition existed previously. (LowerManhattan.info, June 15, 2005)
Let's Do the Right Thing for New York: Letter to the Editor By Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D., N.Y.) ... In regard to your June 9 editorial "9/11 Chutzpah": To suggest that New York is not faced with extraordinary expenses related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is shortsighted at best. The destruction to the city infrastructure alone was like nothing this country has ever experienced. ... In truth, New York will need far more than $20.8 billion to rebuild Lower Manhattan and take care of all the short- and long-term health affects of the many brave men and women who worked in and around Ground Zero. Furthermore, we could not agree less with the Journal's flawed notion that U.S. taxpayers across the nation are being "shortchanged" by New York. New York sends nearly $20 billion more to Washington than it gets back from federal programs. This continues a trend that was documented over the past 25 years by our former colleague, Sen. Pat Moynihan. (Wall Street Journal, June 15, 2005)
9/11 pension bill gains ... Gov. Pataki is poised to sign legislation today that could boost retirement payments to emergency workers who responded to the World Trade Center attacks. The measure, which Mayor Bloomberg resisted because of its potential impact on the city's pocketbook, creates the presumption that injuries and illnesses suffered by firefighters, police officers and other workers who helped in the 9/11 response are job-related. The workers would be entitled to disability pensions, which are higher than regular pensions. "We're very grateful to the governor and especially to Bill Howard [Pataki's director of state operations], who worked for almost a year to bring this together," John Poklemba, a lobbyist for the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said yesterday. Pataki vetoed a similar measure in 2003, but the bill was revamped to require that those seeking disability retirements had spent at least 40 hours at the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, devastation.(NYDaily News, by Joe Mahoney, June 15, 2005)
Deutsche Bank cleanup work to begin in August ... "We feel very confident that the regulators will approve the plan and we can start work this summer," said Amy Peterson, a senior vice president for the corporation, at a June 6 presentation of the revised cleanup plan for Community Board 1. Peterson expects to receive approval within four to six weeks. But the Environmental Protection Agency, the lead regulator for the project, has yet to receive some components of the plan – including the asbestos abatement and removal plan, which the L.M.D.C. promised to deliver in the coming days – and has not given the corporation a green light. "We are still reviewing the parts that we do have and we haven't signed off on them yet," said Mary Mears, an agency spokesperson. "They did make some of the changes that we asked for, but we have to do a careful review with the regulators." E.P.A. rejected the original draft of the cleanup plan last January, calling for a more thorough and extensive cleanup process. Mears did not indicate how long this round of reviews might take. "We want to expedite it, but we want to make sure we do a thorough review." ... By November, the demolition phase will begin. (The L.M.D.C. will open the bidding process for the demolition next week, and expects to award a contract by August.) ... provide a recorded toll-free information hotline, (646) 942-0694. ... By early 2007, the imposing tower will have vanished from Liberty St. ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, June 10 -16, 2005)
Kicking up dust over new air testing plan ... Downtown's air will be monitored continuously throughout the years of intense construction, Downtown redevelopment officials announced this week. The Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center unveiled an air monitoring system that, beginning this summer, will monitor the air below Canal St. for particulates until at least the end of 2008, when peak construction is expected to wane. "We want to make sure that Lower Manhattan's air is as good as, if not better than, anywhere else in the rest of Manhattan," Charles Maikish, head of the command center, told residents at a June 6 Community Board 1 meeting. The center, a joint city and state agency, was created earlier this year to mitigate the impact the years of construction will have on the community. The monitoring systems scattered throughout the Downtown area will check for particulates as small as 2.5 microns (a human hair is 70 microns). The information will be examined daily at the command center and reports will be available to the public weekly at www.lowermanhattan.info. The Environmental Protection Agency, which suggested the idea of a monitoring plan to the center and was active in the development process, voiced concerns to Downtown Express that the final product does not go far enough to ensure the air in the neighborhood is safe to breathe. The agency would like to see the center also check for asbestos, lead and man-made vitreous fibers below Canal St. (the plan calls for running the more comprehensive tests only near the construction sites). "Given all the construction we felt [monitoring for toxins throughout Downtown] would provide information about what may be escaping into the community," said Mary Mears, an E.P.A. spokesperson. "We should err on the side of caution and do a wider monitoring program." ... "If L.M.D.C. wants to be credible, they should step up to the plate and do what the E.P.A. recommends," Catherine McVay Hughes, community liaison for the E.P.A. W.T.C. Expert Technical Review Panel and a C.B. 1 member who attended the meeting, said after hearing about the E.P.A.'s reservations. The L.M.D.C. is helping set up the command center. "If L.M.D.C. wants to earn the trust of the community, they would install a good air monitoring program.".... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, June 10 -16, 2005)
NYC debates toxic air ... Air quality in Lower Manhattan remains a contentious issue as federal, state, and local agencies announce new programs and spar with residents over old ones. ... (Disaster News, June 9, 2005)
Labor-HHS Spending Bill Approved With $163M In Cuts ... With controversial rescissions included, the House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee today approved a $142.5 billion discretionary spending bill that represents a $163 million cut from the previous year's enacted levels. Among the rescissions are $125 million in unspent New York state emergency response funds for workers' compensation costs ... (CongressDaily, By Peter Cohn, June 9, 2005)
9/11 Chutzpah ... After the September 11 terrorist attacks, Washington generously pledged $20 billion to help New York City recover. The taxpayers have since met that pledge and exceeded it by about $800 million. Included in the aid is $175 million earmarked for workers injured in the attack. Nearly four years later, it's clear that need was hugely overestimated; only $50.8 million has been spent. And so, reasonably enough, the feds are asking for $120 million back. Enter New York's Congressional delegation. Last week two-thirds of the state's Representatives fired off a letter of protest to President Bush, whose budget proposes to reclaim that money. The letter was signed by 20 House Members, including a handful of Republicans, and is aimed at drawing attention to the issue before a House hearing today. It has "been our understanding," they write, "that if it was ever determined that certain 9/11 disaster relief funding was not able to be fully used, we would have the flexibility to use this funding on other pressing needs related to 9/11." Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer didn't sign the letter, but they too are urging the President not to rescind the money. They want to redirect it to a program for Ground Zero workers who may develop lung problems down the road -- even though most have health insurance through the fire department or other agencies. The 9/11 money was set aside for two purposes. Some $50 million was to reimburse the state's Uninsured Employers Fund. Half of that was earmarked to reimburse the fund for benefits to those who worked for uninsured employers. But since the state hopes to recoup these expenses from the employers themselves, rather than insurers, almost none of it has been touched. Of the other $25 million, intended to reimburse the fund for benefits paid out to volunteers, only $456,000 has been spent. ... (Wall Street Journal Editorial, June 9, 2005; Page A16)
City losing 169M in 9/11 funds ... (NYDaily News, by Kennneth R. Bazinet, June 9, 2005)
US Postal Service settles case against insurer of the 90 Church Street Station ... The United States Postal Service, the owner of the Church Street Station, located at 90 Church Street, has settled its case in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Factory Mutual Insurance Company for losses to the 90 Church Street property resulting from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and its aftermath. In the settlement, which was approved yesterday by United States District Judge Naomi Buchwald, Factory Mutual Insurance agreed to pay $75 million under its property insurance policy with the Postal Service for damage to the building caused by the events of September 11th and their aftermath. The complaint alleged that the insurance company beached its policy with the USPO by denying coverage and rejecting its proof of loss for emergency repairs, environmental testing and remediation, reconstructing of the interior spaces, lost rents, and personal property. Factory Mutual denied the allegations.The Church Street Station, which is the central retail mail center in downtown Manhattan, reopened to the public in August 2004. (Empire State News, June 9, 2005)
9/11 Victims May Be Forced To Give Back Aid Money ... Some victims of the September 11 terror attacks could be forced to give back some of the money they received after the attacks. A congressional investigation found that New York State didn't follow instructions from the federal government on how to spend $44 million in 9/11 aid money. The probe also found that the state wasn't entitled to distribute the funds through other agencies. State officials say they used certain agencies to get the money out more quickly. ... (NY1, June 08, 2005)
Ground Zero Tower to Be Demolished by Early 2007, Officials Say ... The delayed demolition of Deutsche Bank AG's former 40-story office tower, contaminated with toxins by Sept. 11 debris, will begin in July and be completed by early 2007, officials of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. say. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerns about containing the pollution, which delayed the project from starting in January, have been dealt with, said Amy Peterson, senior vice president of the New York state agency that oversees rebuilding at Ground Zero. The Deutsche Bank tower must be razed to make way for New York Governor George Pataki's $12 billion revival of the trade center area, including 10 million square feet of new offices, a transportation center, theaters, shops and a memorial to those killed in the 2001 and 1993 terrorist attacks. ... Though the EPA hasn't approved of the revisions, work on the scaffolding can proceed, Mary Mears, an EPA spokeswoman, said today. ``We are right now reviewing portions of the plan,'' she said. ``We don't have the whole plan.'' Details: The EPA wants details on asbestos abatement and the gutting of the building's interiors, Mears said.Luis Mendes, a former assistant city commissioner hired to serve as the agency's director of construction, said they would ``wrap the whole project'' by December 2006 or January 2007. The state agency bought the building from Deutsche Bank for $90 million in February 2004. Kevin Rampe, the agency's president at the time, said the cleanup could be finished in five to seven months.In February, the development agency doubled the amount set aside for the project to $90 million, and said it would bill two of the tower's insurers, Axa SA and Allianz AG for the increase. Joanna Rose, spokeswoman for the development agency, said today in an e-mail those efforts are ``ongoing.''In its January review of the project, EPA officials objected to plans to treat the cleanup of the toxin-laden interior and the removal of building materials as separate phases, with separate monitoring provisions. The revised plan unifies both aspects, along with the effort to monitor both the air that workers would be exposed to, and the air outside the building. ... At its peak, about 100 workers will be involved in the demolition, Mendes said. Those in the first phase will wear full-body coveralls and respirators to filter the air they breathe, Gerdts said. Those working directly on removal and disposal of building materials will wear full face masks, he said. (Bloomberg News, By David M. Levitt, June 7, 2005)
New York Politicians Demand More, Not Less, 9/11 Aid ... Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-New York) said in a press statement that accompanied the letter, "Even though it's been several years since the attacks, we still don't know exactly all of the health ramifications associated with that tragedy and we must have the resources to deal with them as we move forward."(The New Standard, by Michelle Chen, June 7, 2005)
Bush 2006 Budget Would Reclaim $125 Million of 9/11 Aid ... Four years after scores of rescue workers were injured in the smoldering wreckage of the World Trade Center, the federal government plans to rescind $125 million that was allocated to help them, and many of those who requested compensation are finding their claims being disputed at 10 times the rate that typical workers face. The money, included in a $20 billion aid package the federal government gave to New York in late 2001, was part of $175 million that was earmarked for the state's workers' compensation program. So far, only $50 million of the part set aside for trade center workers has been spent, and a provision in the Bush administration's budget for fiscal 2006 would reclaim the remaining $125 million. But yesterday, lawmakers called on the White House to withdraw its proposal, saying the money was still badly needed by ground zero workers who are fighting for lost wages and facing the prospect of long-term health problems that doctors are only beginning to understand. ... Last year, a Congressional report found that the state was sitting on much of that money. Of about $25 million earmarked for volunteer workers, the New York State Workers' Compensation Board had doled out only $456,000. It spent $44 million more to reimburse state agencies for payments to the families of 9/11 victims, and $4.4 million to upgrade its computer system. More than 10,182 people have filed workers' compensation claims, the report found, but the state refused to say how many had been denied .... (NY Times, by Anahad O'Connor, June 3, 2005)
NY Congressional Reps Urge President and Congress Not to Withdraw 9/11 Aid for Injured Responders ... A bipartisan group of 23 members of the New York Congressional delegation urged President George W. Bush to withdraw a proposal in his FY 2006 budget that would rescind $125 million in federal funds designated for 9/11 workers' compensation and job retraining aid. ... (Homeland Response, June 3, 2005)
Members of NY Congressional Delegation Urge President & Congress Not to Withdraw 9/11 Aid for Injured Responders (Congresswoman Caronlyn B. Maloney News Release, June 2, 2005)
Letter: Health is worse since Sept. 11 ...HELEN FEINSTEIN, Manhattan ... I owned a restaurant on John Street on Sept 11th and ran for my life that morning along with everyone else. We finally closed in April 2002, after our business was reduced to just about nothing.I, of course, was breathing in all that toxic air all day long and found very little reprieve as I went home in the evening to my apartment in the West Village. I had quite good health up to that point, but then started coughing and wheezing constantly. I had a complete respiratory check up at Beth Israel Hospital in Oct 2002. They concluded that nothing was out of the ordinary. I then developed pneumonia in January 2003, for the first time. This year, I had four colds with bronchial infections.I took a flu shot as well as a pneumonia shot and managed to avoid coming down with those ailments. I think that something is up with my health. (Metro, page 9, June 2, 2005)
Letter: WTC's lasting effect on health... PAULINA JOZEFOWICZ, Woodside... As a previous employee for a company in lower Manhattan for three years, I worked five blocks away from what use to be the World Trade Center site. I was there to experience that dreadful day of Sept. 11, 2001. After that, each morning as I walked to work, reflecting in the sunlight, I could see some particles in the air. In the months ahead, I noticed that my co-workers and I were constantly coughing and sneezing. Eventually, I was diagnosed with asthma. Since leaving my previous job downtown Manhattan last May, I have seen some improvements in my health, but due to my asthma, I am now restricted to the number of physical activities I can do. The EPA should make it mandatory to inspect each and every one of the buildings that have been affected in the area, especially if there have been documented illnesses in the community. (Metro, page 9, June 2, 2005)
White House, New Yorkers in Tug of War over Unspent Sept. 11 Aid ... New York has yet to spend some $125 million for workers injured in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack and its aftermath, and the federal government doesn't want to wait any longer. It wants the money back. New York lawmakers are trying to hold onto the funding ahead of a House committee meeting next week to consider re-claiming the funds as proposed by the Bush administration's budget for fiscal year 2006. A group of 21 New York lawmakers, including state Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer, both D-N.Y., is urging the White House to redirect the money toward health programs for ground zero workers affected with long-term lung problems that may not appear for years to come. The administration has resisted. ... (NYNewsday/AP, by Devlin Barrett, June 1, 2005)

MAY

ATSDR/NYCDOHMH: May 2005 Quarterly Newsletter .... Assessing Truck Driver Exposure at the World Trade Center Disaster Site: Personal and Area Monitoring for Particulate Matter and Volatile Organic Compounds during October 2001 and April 2002; Upper Respiratory Symptoms And Other Health Effects Among Residents Living Near The World Trade Center Site After September 11, 2001; Bronchial Hyperactivity And Other Inhalation Lung Injuries In Rescue Recovery Workers After The World Trade Center Collapse; Respiratory Symptoms and Physiologic Assessment of Ironworkers at the World Trade Center Disaster Site; Health and Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Disaster.
City issues then revokes demolition permits ... Eight days after the Department of Buildings issued permits to demolish two buildings just south of the World Trade Center site, the city's Department of Environmental Protection raised a red flag and the permit was revoked. The apparent oversight of possible toxic hazards inside 133-135 Greenwich St. and 21-29 Thames St. can partly be explained by faulty paperwork filed by the developer, Greenwich Street Project, L.L.C. and partly by a lack of communication between the two agencies. D.O.B. evaluates structural concerns only, while D.E.P. monitors environmental issues like W.T.C. dust, a hazard that might effectively overrule a demolition permit. Tyically, Buildings takes environmental hazards into consideration only by way of instruction from Environmental Protection. "If they don't hear from us, the process continues," says Charles Sturcken of D.E.P. And in the case of the two small buildings, the developer submitted an asbestos intake form that suggested that no significant threat existed inside, Sturcken said. This was despite the location's proximity to Deutsche Bank, where documented toxic levels were up to thousands of times greater than acceptable standards. The offices of Greenwich Street Project, owned by Thames Greenwich, L.L.C., declined to comment.(Downtown Express, by Claire F. Hamilton, MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2005, 2005)
Letter From Clinton, Schumer, Maloney & Walsh to President Bush .... The funds that your budget seeks to rescind could have a significant impact on the lives of those who responded to Ground Zero after the terrorist attacks and who are now sick. It has been our understanding that if it was ever determined that certain 9/11 disaster relief funding was not able to be fully used, we would have the flexibility to use this funding on other pressing needs related to 9/11..... (May 31, 2005)
Toxins 'Razing' Alarm ... Two adjacent downtown buildings, vacant and contaminated since 9/11, slipped through city and federal oversight and were almost razed despite having no plans for protecting the area from toxins locked inside. The project was brought to a halt only when residents saw scaffolding rising and started making phone calls.The two two-story buildings at the corner of Greenwich and Thames streets and next to two high schools had been granted a demolition permit by the city Department of Buildings, which had listed them as having been "breached" on 9/11 and contaminated.The buildings used to house a catering company, a shoe-repair store, a doctor's office and other businesses. New owners who purchased the property earlier this year plan to build a 33-story apartment building on the site. Buildings similarly contaminated have been forced to develop intricate safety plans before being demolished. ... Nadler said: "The fact that these contaminated buildings were allowed to languish, untested and untouched for 31/2 years, illustrates the obvious need for EPA to finally assume its legally mandated role in protecting the people of lower Manhattan." (NYPOST, by Sam Smith, May 29, 2005)
Today's Debate ... Do you think the government is doing enough to clean up the toxic dust at the World Trade Center site? Imran Hussein, Managing director, Manhattan "Absolutely not. It's contaminated. The EPA is putting out false reports, and we've been breathing in toxic chemicals like asbestos." Jordan Greenberg, Systems administrator, Manhattan "No way. I live five blocks south of the site and they haven't done jack since late 2001." Tim Gage, Systems administrator, Manhattan "No. I want to see guys in orange suits examining the area every six months and giving status reports." Jesse Kelley, Account executive, Jersey City "No. I'm in the WTC pit every day when I take the PATH train and I don't see anyone cleaning up anything." (Metro NY, May 26, 2005)
Plan to Test Downtown Dust Draws Ire ... An Environmental Protection Agency plan to look for hazardous dust in buildings near ground zero was criticized yesterday by residents of Lower Manhattan and environmental advocates, who said it was deeply flawed and unrealistic. ... "There have been a huge number of additions and modifications to the plan reflecting that we've accepted recommendations from the public and from the panel," said E. Timothy Oppelt, the acting assistant administrator for research and development for the agency, referring to a technical panel of experts who have been advising the agency. "That includes expanding the boundaries into Brooklyn, expanding the list of contaminants of concern, and looking for contamination not only in residential buildings but also in commercial establishments." Although the plume of smoke that bellowed from the trade center collapse traveled several blocks, scientists have not been able to determine how far the microscopic particles of asbestos, lead and other toxic substances spread after the Sept. 11 attack. The plan calls for inspectors to clean desktops, carpets and other spaces in 150 buildings south of Houston Street in Manhattan and along part of the Brooklyn waterfront, and to test for traces of gypsum, concrete and slag wool, a type of insulating material, to distinguish trade center contamination from background dust. If slag wool and other traces of toxic soot are identified, the government has said, it will offer to clean the site and possibly the entire building. ... scores of people complained that the agency would never get building owners to cooperate. To conduct inspections, the agency must receive approval from landlords, something critics said was unlikely because of concerns about liability. ... The agency also came under fire for its testing procedures. Under the plan, for example, if slag wool and other substances are discovered in areas described as "inaccessible," like some ventilation systems, the government will not offer to clean it up. The agency is looking primarily for slag wool, and because some slag wool particles might be heavier than other toxins, residents said it was possible that buildings farther from ground zero would test negative for slag wool but still have other contaminants that had traveled farther. Officials said the plan would be completed in a week or two. (NYTimes, by Anahad O'Connor, May 25, 2005)
Pataki Aide Flexes Early Muscle In Effort to Speed Up Rebuilding ... In the two weeks since the governor appointed him to oversee the development of the former World Trade Center site, John P. Cahill has moved quickly to assert his power, taking a variety of small but significant actions that appear meant to demonstrate that a central authority now leads downtown development. On May 13, the day after he was named to the post, Mr. Cahill canceled the contract with the company in charge of demolishing the Deutsche Bank building, hoping to speed up the construction of a new building on the site. The building was damaged beyond repair in the attacks of 2001, and its demolition has been repeatedly delayed by a series of environmental disputes. ... An important component to rebuilding the site has been the demolition of the Deutsche Bank building, where one of the new trade towers is scheduled to be built. Last year, the Gilbane Building Company, which had been hired to bring down the building, released a draft plan for the first phase of deconstruction to meet Mr. Pataki's goal of demolishing the building by the end of the year. But when the Environmental Protection Agency and other groups raised concerns that those plans did not adequately guard against the potential release of contaminants in the air, the project became more or less deadlocked, with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and Gilbane wrestling with how to meet the new deconstruction demands. After federal officials decided that the project would be covered in scaffolding for decontamination, Mr. Cahill concluded the entire project needed to be put up for bidding again. Gilbane's original contract was for $45 million, but that figure is expected to increase vastly. ... (NYTimes, by Jennifer Steinhauer, May 25, 2005)
EPA's foul play: Agency's plan to test for WTC dust criticized as ill-defined ... BOWLING GREEN Nearly four years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency still hasn't cleaned potentially toxic dust and other particles from apartments and offices in the path of the plume of smoke from that day. The federal agency recently released a "draft final" sampling plan to determine building cleanup in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, but many residents and workers criticized the plan at a public hearing yesterday. They fear the EPA's guidelines will make detecting and defining levels of "WTC dust" contamination too difficult. ... (Metro, front page, by Amy Zimmer, May 25, 2005)
Downtown residents cast doubts on EPA ... Although the plan calls for volunteer buildings in Lower Manhattan — from the island's tip to Houston and Clinton streets — and across the East River to parts of Brooklyn ending at Henry Street, Paul Stein of the New York State Public Employees Federation said issues of legal liability and business disruption would dissuade participation. "Only the minority of buildings and offices that have been thoroughly cleaned [already] will allow EPA testing, thus skewing the results and invalidating the testing plan," he said, claiming this will lead residents to distrust the EPA. .... (Metro, page five, by Amy Zimmer, May 25, 2005)
EPA Sets Voluntary Participation for Trade Center Toxin Search ... Residents and environmental activists assailed the EPA, saying the decisions attempt to minimize the extent of contamination. Linda Rosenthal, an aide to U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Manhattan Democrat, said federal law empowers the agency ``to enter any vessel, facility or property, to conduct responsible testing and cleanup.'' Access: ``The EPA gains access to sites all over the country all the time,'' she said. ``Lower Manhattan should not be an exception.'' The agency plans a ``spatially balanced statistical selection of 150 buildings'' from among 6,000-plus structures ranging from Ground Zero to downwind Brooklyn, said Matthew Lorber of the EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment. If a landlord refuses access, the inspection will shift to a statistically equivalent building, Lorber said..... Concessions: Still, opponents pressed for more concessions, such as more attention to limited and inaccessible areas. ``My young children hide under the bed during hide and seek sessions,'' said Craig Hall, a resident of Battery Park City and president of the WTC Residents Coalition. ``I open my windows and dust that has collected in the window wells is blown into our living space. Why are these classified as inaccessible?'' The danger from inhaling trade center pollutants comes from routine exposure, Lorber said, not from a one-time or occasional encounter. ....(Bloomberg Radio, By David M Levitt, 2005-05-24)
EPA Proposes Plan to Test Contaminents ... Harriet Grimm represents 14-hundred families in Tribeca building that was covered in dust after 9-11. She says the testing should be mandatory. The EPA says it's been listening to residents concerns. It wants to validate a screening method to identify all the dangerous components of dust and not just test for asbestos. (WNYC, by Richard Hake, May 24, 2005)
LMDC to Begin Deconstruction of Deutsche Bank ... Meanwhile, thanks to the persistence of some lower Manhattan residents a separate building with some potentially significant environmental issues will NOT be torn down this week. WNYC's Bob Hennely reports. REPORTER: The residents of 125 Cedar Street, keep a close watch on their block near the World Trade Center. So when they saw scaffolding and fencing go up around a three story commercial building on Greenwich Street they called their Congressman Jerald Nadler. His office learned the Department of Buildings had granted a demolition permit. But, that was rescinded when the Department of Environmentral Protection said it wanted a closer look for asbestos and potential contimination from 9/11. The DEP passed on a list of 53 other building in and around that neighborhod that need special handling because of their proximity to Ground Zero.(WNYC, by Bob Hennelly, May 20, 2005)
Fiterman Hall's last days may finally be in sight ... One of the last vestiges of the World Trade Center disaster may soon meet its fate. City University of New York has finally secured enough money to demolish Fiterman Hall, a Borough of Manhattan Community College structure at 30 West Broadway, and may begin work within the year, although demolition plans remain entirely unclear. Governor George Pataki announced last week that $15 million of the remaining Lower Manhattan Development Corporation funds will be set aside for the demolition of the 15-story structure, which was badly damaged on Sept. 11, 2001. The combination of state, city, L.M.D.C. funds and a $90 million insurance settlement "will ensure its first-rate rebuilding," Pataki said in a speech last Thursday. ... Fiterman Hall, contaminated with W.T.C. dust, will most likely follow in a path forged by 130 Liberty St. and 4 Albany St., two 9/11-damaged structures on the south side of the W.T.C. site that are currently in the midst of cleanup and demolition processes of their own. ... "It'll be five years after Sept. 11 until that toxic eyesore is finally taken care of," said Catherine McVay Hughes, a Community Board 1 member and community liaison for the E.P.A.'s W.T.C. Expert Technical Review Panel. "Fiterman's got to go."... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, May 20 - 26, 2005)
EPA Review Panel Revises Draft Plan for World Trade Center Dust Sampling ... Clinton Sees 'Step Forward.' In a statement responding to the EPA final draft, Clinton called it "an important step forward" but added that she continues to have serious concerns. She added that she looks forward to "working closely with EPA to ensure that the final plan is both scientifically sound and responsive to the needs of the community." Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who represents the sections of the city around the disaster site, continued his sharp criticism of EPA's handling of the dust issue. "Unfortunately, it appears at first glance that EPA's long-awaited plan has been designed in a way that is fundamentally inadequate to determine the true extent of WTC dust contamination," he said in a statement. He called for EPA to incorporate more suggestions from residents, workers, and environmental advocates. The WTC Community-Labor Coalition, in a May 11 statement, maintained that the new plan "falls far short" of the goal of identifying where World Trade Center dust may still remain in homes and workplaces. ... (Occupational Safety and Health Reporter, By John Herzfeld, May 19, 2005)
Critics knock E.P.A.'s new testing plan ... Although critics laud the plan as a step in the right direction, they worry its methods may not find the dust that is there. "The public needs an effective program to test and the current program gives false assurances," said Catherine McVay Hughes, community liaison for the E.P.A. Expert Technical Review Panel, which was established in March 2004 to devise a sampling and cleaning plan. The plan will decide the extent of the contamination of a particular building based on the median – or midpoint – of the contamination levels, a strategy that has many critics concerned. "That would water down any contamination results that are found," said Linda Rosenthal, an aide to U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler who worked with Senator Hillary Clinton to establish the E.P.A. panel. "The point isn't not to find [contamination], the point is to have the most rigorous plan that will find it in order to protect the people." Nadler is concerned because buildings with contaminated samples will still be considered clean if the number of toxic samples is low. .... Because the sampling program is voluntary, critics worry it will exclude many office workers and commercial and residential tenants who would like to see their homes and workplaces sampled. "If you're a worker, you're at the mercy of your employer or your landlord to let you come in and check your space," said Hughes. ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, May 13 - 19, 2005)
Demolition work begins at 4 Albany St. .... While much of the World Trade Center redevelopment plans have been bogged down in a bureaucratic quagmire, a small neo-classical office building at 4 Albany St., standing damaged and shrouded behind a black curtain since Sept. 11th, 2001, has been cleaned of contaminants and will soon be reduced to nothing more than a cement foundation. Workers began demolishing the Deutsche Bank-owned building last Friday and by July the 10-story edifice will be gone. One of the last World Trade Center-damaged structures scheduled for the chopping block, it is the only one privately owned. In December, workers began a painstaking floor-by-floor cleaning process to remove the contaminants – primarily lead and asbestos — that rendered it uninhabitable. With the building now empty and clean, the façade will be peeled into the structure to be demolished floor by floor. ... The demise of 4 Albany St. may be a harbinger of how the other remaining 9/11-damaged structures are dismantled. "What happens at 4 Albany St. is setting the precedent for what happens at 130 Liberty St. and what happens at Fiterman Hall," said C.B. 1 member Catherine McVay Hughes, referring to two 9/11-damaged structures that are awaiting demolition. Although 4 Albany St. is not facing the same level of public and government scrutiny as the government-owned contaminated buildings, the Environmental Protection Agency has been closely watching Deutsche Bank's activities at the site. Future demolitions will most likely take cues from the bank, according to Pat Evangelista, W.T.C. coordinator for the E.P.A. "4 Albany is a good model," he said. ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, May 13 - 19, 2005)
9/11 First Responders Denied Help Again Rep. Maloney's amendments to help sick & injured 9/11 responders, & to improve future federal response to first responder health needs are refused by Rules Committee for Homeland Authorization Bill (Congresswoman Maloney, May 17, 2005)
How to handle a crisis ... 'What do we want?" the woman roared across the busy downtown sidewalk. "Double windows!" a hundred people called back at her. ...The issue is double-pane windows on the hulking office building at 90 Church St., directly across from Ground Zero. This part of downtown, which was inundated in terror-attack debris, will remain a full-time demolition and construction zone for the next 10 years, easy. "Double windows are not that much to ask for, with everything that's been in the air down here," said Mitchell Feder, local chapter president for Civil Service Technical Guild. People do have to breathe. ... After three years of decontamination and renovation, 90 Church is supposedly now rid of the lead, asbestos, dioxin and mold that turned up after Sept. 11. But the workers wonder: Why were double windows installed on the building's fourth, 13th, 14th and 15th floors, which are leased to the state Health Department and Public Service Commission, and not on the building's 11 other floors? Those floors include workers from the city Housing Authority and the U.S. Postal Service. ... I guess there's only one solution then: double windows on the White House. ...(NYNewday, by Ellis Henican, May 13, 2005)
Buildings Farther From Ground Zero to Be Tested for Contaminated Dust ... In order to determine how far the choking dust cloud spread from ground zero after the World Trade Center collapsed, federal officials are planning, for the first time, to look for a telltale sign of the dust in apartment buildings and workplaces along part of the Brooklyn waterfront and as far north as Houston Street in Lower Manhattan. Testing for DustUnder a draft plan announced by the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday night, inspectors will check desktops, carpets and the space behind refrigerators in 150 residential and commercial buildings that are a sample of the nearly 7,000 structures within the boundaries of the area considered most likely to have been exposed to the dust. Despite the many harrowing images of the towering plume spreading across the city, scientists have been unable to detect exactly where the dust might have seeped in through windows and cracks to leave behind a potentially hazardous residue. But now they have determined that microscopic traces of slag wool, a type of insulating material, along with tiny particles of gypsum and concrete, can be taken as reliable evidence that trade center dust had passed that way. ... Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who played a central role in forcing the environmental agency to retest the area, said she had serious concerns about the plan and may seek changes before it is completed. Catherine McVay Hughes, a Lower Manhattan resident who is the community representative on the technical panel of experts that has been advising the environmental agency for the past 14 months, said she doubted that the plan would "put the issue to rest." Among other criticism, Ms. McVay Hughes said the federal officials are being unrealistic about the potential danger within apartments. For example, she said, the plan does not consider hazardous material found beneath beds to pose a serious threat, while parents know that children love to hide there. ... (NYTimes, by Anthony DePalma, May 12, 2005)
Critics deride EPA's WTC testing ...The EPA's plan to sample lower Manhattan and Brooklyn for residual dust from the World Trade Center disaster was derided Wednesday by critics who say it falls far short of what is needed. ... "Unfortunately, it appears at first glance that the EPA's long-awaited plan has been designed in a way that is fundamentally inadequate to determine the true extent of WTC dust contamination," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan). Under the plan, dust samples will be taken in 150 buildings out of the 6,000 in Manhattan south of Houston Street and in portions of Brooklyn. Where WTC contaminants are found, a cleanup will be offered, the EPA said. "It is a high-priority exercise," said EPA spokesman Michael Brown. "We've invested thousands of person hours in assuring that the health of those living in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn is not jeopardized. We have no presupposition about the results." ... (NY Newsday, by Graham Rayman, May 12, 2005)
EPA'S DUST STORM ... Critics blasted the plan, saying it will ignore many potentially contaminated buildings and fail to clean all the toxins found. The EPA insists its plan is valid. ... A spokesperson for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who helped establish the panel, said that, at first glance, the plan appears inadequate. "I continue to have serious concerns," Clinton said in a statement. (NYPost, by Sam Smith, May 12, 2005)
9/11 test flip-flop: EPA to check 30 buildings for debris ... Pressured by residents and lawmakers, the federal government reversed itself yesterday and will start testing for World Trade Center-related debris in Brooklyn. But the Environmental Protection Agency plans to test only 30 buildings in the borough...."A plume of smoke hung over Brooklyn for three solid months ... there's every reason to assume that Brooklyn was affected in the same way as Manhattan," said Yassky, who wants more buildings tested. The plan should be completed in early summer and testing would begin soon after. If World Trade Center-related dust is found, apartments or entire buildings could be eligible for cleanup."This is a step in the right direction," said Yassky. "Thank goodness the EPA finally acknowledged that downtown Brooklyn was a victim of Sept. 11."... The sampling will include a mixture of apartment buildings, brownstones, fire stations and factories, he said.... (NYDaily News, by Deborah Kolben, May 12, 2005)
EPA preps to test WTC-area buildings: Study to determine levels of toxins from Twin Towers ... Many residents and environmentalactivists, however, are wary of the plan. "It appears they are going to water down the results of the testing by averaging the results of buildings," said Suzanne Mattei, who heads New York City's Sierra Club office. Kimberly Flynn, spokesperson for 9/11 Environmental Action, a community group of residents and public health advocates, is already planning to mobilize residents to demand changes at the EPA's next meeting on May 24. "We won't ask them to go back to the drawing board exactly, because we believe with critical changes this could be the building block of a credible plan," she said. "But this won't fly." (Metro, by Amy Zimmer, May 11, 2005)
Congressional Representatives, New York Residents and Workers Say EPA Must Strengthen Testing Program for 9/11 Contamination ... Congressman Jerrold Nadler said, "In large measure, it is because of the important efforts of Senator Clinton that issues related to World Trade Center contamination were finally examined in this formal way, and a testing plan proposed. Unfortunately, it appears at first glance that the EPA's long-awaited plan has been designed in a way that is fundamentally inadequate to determine the true extent of WTC dust contamination. It is imperative that the EPA now act to incorporate more of the ideas and concerns of the residents, workers and environmental advocates into a revised, scientifically rigorous sampling plan." Senator Hillary Clinton stated, "Yesterday's release of a revised testing and cleanup plan by EPA is an important step toward realizing the promise of the World Trade Center Expert Panel, but I continue to have serious concerns. I will be evaluating the plan in detail in the coming days, and look forward to working closely with EPA to ensure that the final plan is both scientifically sound and responsive to the needs of the community." ... (Nadler, News Release, May 11, 2005)
EPA Doubles Sampling Area in Search for Toxic Trade Center Dust ... "It appears at first glance that the EPA's long-awaited plan has been designed in a way that is fundamentally inadequate,'' U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler, a Manhattan Democrat whose district includes the trade center site, said in a statement posted on his Web site. ... (Bloomberg News, by David M. Levitt, May 11, 2005)
EPA Plans More Testing Of Air Quality In Lower Manhattan (NY1, May 11, 2005)
EPA to Sample Dust From 150 NYC Buildings ... Dust samples from 150 New York buildings in lower Manhattan and part of Brooklyn are to be gathered by the Environmental Protection Agency to find out how much indoor contamination might remain from the collapse of the World Trade Center. EPA officials released their near-final plan Tuesday, which they say will be used in deciding what should be cleaned and whether to launch a broader sampling and cleanup effort. E. Timothy Oppelt, an EPA official in charge of agency research, said that by doing more sampling the agency can find out how far the contaminants extend and ''whether or not they are present at levels of concern'' that would require cleanups. ...(AP/NYTimes, AP/USATODAY, May 10, 2005)
EPA To Sample Dust From 150 Lower Manhattan Buildings ... Residents and workers in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn sued the EPA last year, saying it improperly allowed thousands of people to return to their homes and businesses and made misleading statements about air quality after the September Eleventh, terrorist attacks. The lawsuit was filed in US District Court in Manhattan. EPA defended itself by praising the staff's monitoring and sampling of air, dust and river and drinking water as "remarkable feats." It says it provided thousands of respirators for response workers and cleaned and tested thousands of homes in lower Manhattan. (WABC/Eyewitness News ABC7, May 11, 2005)
W. PLAN $TIFFS HEROES ... he Bush administration is reneging on its pledge of $175 million to fund workers' compensation claims for uninsured Ground Zero responders, The Post has learned. In its proposed 2006 budget, the administration says it will take back $120 million in funds granted in 2002 that have yet to be spent. "These particular funds were set aside for workers' compensation needs that have not turned out to be as large as expected," said federal Office of Management and Budget spokesman Scott Milburn. "The initial need for the funds has been met." But advocates say the federal decision will leave workers in the lurch as they continue to get sick from their time at Ground Zero, and that the money may well be needed to pay future claims. ... Health professionals were concerned about the government's decision."We don't know what the long-term health effects will be," said Dr. Robin Herbert, director of Mount Sinai hospital's World Trade Center health-monitoring program. So far, the New York Workers' Compensation Board has paid out roughly $52 million in benefits to 113 claimants from the federal funding. Of those, 37 are receiving biweekly payments because of the severity of their injuries. All those payments — along with 94 claims currently being processed, another 400 filed with the state in anticipation of future health problems, and any future complaints— are jeopardized by the Bush administration's proposal. (NYPost, by Sam Smith, May 8, 2005)
Fallout: NYC Citizens Fight For Clean-Up of Toxic Towers ... Fallout from the 9/11 terrorist attacks continues to rain down on Lower Manhattan three and a half years after the World Trade Center Towers collapsed. The Environmental Protection Agency, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and citizen advocacy groups here are still clashing on the removal of the toxic dust circulating in the area and on funds for research and treatment of people who will suffer from the effects of contamination years from now.Variance Grievances. Activists said last Thursday night at the Community Board #1's committee on Lower Manhattan redevelopment that the LMDC's proposed variances for the asbestos abatement of the former Deutsche Bank building will make the demolition more hazardous to residents and workers. ... (The Lone Star Iconoclast, By Nathan Diebenow, May 4, 2005)
Particle Atlas of World Trade Center Dust ...The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun a reassessment of the presence of World Trade Center (WTC) dust in residences, public buildings, and office spaces in New York City, New York. Meeker and others (2005a) have identified slag wool (a man-made vitreous fiber, MMVF), gypsum (CaSO4_2H2O) (or anhydrite (CaSO4)), and phases compatible with concrete as signature components of the WTC dust. In addition to these phases, other MMVF, metal or metal oxides, mineral material, and asbestos are present in trace to minor amounts. Background dust samples collected from residences, public buildings, and office spaces will be analyzed by multiple laboratories for the presence of WTC dust. Other laboratories are currently studying WTC dust for other purposes, such as health effects studies. To assist in inter-laboratory consistency for identification of WTC dust components, this particle atlas of phases in WTC dust has been compiled. This particle atlas contains energy dispersive x-ray spectra (EDS) of the common phases found in WTC dust. In addition, scanning electron photomicrographs showing typical morphology of selected particles are included. The dust is a product of the collapse of WTC buildings and contents. While the list of spectra provided is comprehensive, it is by no means complete. Therefore, it is likely phases and compounds will be identified in the future that are not listed in this atlas. ... (USGS, by Heather A. Lowers & Gregory P. Meeker, May 2005)
9/11's shock toll on kids ... Nearly one in three city public school students suffered from a mental disorder as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, according to a new study. But, surprisingly, children who lived or went to school nearer to Ground Zero weren't necessarily the ones troubled most by the horrific events and the aftermath, researchers found.Witnessing the World Trade Center crumble or being evacuated from dusty classrooms didn't seem to affect kids as deeply as the fear of losing family members, the study suggests.... Hoven's team surveyed more than 8,000 city public school students in grades four through 12 about six months after 9/11.Researchers found that the most common disorder was agoraphobia - the fear of public places, being in crowds or open areas - affecting 15% of all students. Twelve percent of students suffered from separation anxiety, with 11% experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder, an often-paralyzing condition also found in combat veterans."Any one of these disorders can be disabling for a child - not succeeding in school, not going to school, not socializing," Hoven said.... (NYDaily News, by Paul H.B. Shin, May 3, 2005)
Health Screenings for 9/11 Rescue Workers Will Resume. The organizers of a medical screening program that tracks the health of rescue workers who labored in the wreckage of the World Trade Center announced yesterday that the program will start accepting new patients again, in the hopes of reaching thousands of people who could not be accommodated previously. The program, called the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening program, has examined nearly 12,000 workers so far, according to Dr. Robin Herbert, a director of that program. She said that some 40,000 rescue workers inhaled soot, dust and smoke after Sept. 11, 2001. ... During workshops with the workers, doctors often came face to face with the confusion patients live with. In a particularly lively session, Dr. Jacqueline Moline fielded queries on diseases like cancer and other ailments that might show up later. Steven Mayfield, a city police officer who spent 30 days guarding the World Trade Center site, now suffers from pulmonary sarcoidosis, a rare disease with symptoms that include shortness of breath, chronic cough and weight loss. He told Dr. Moline that he had lost 50 pounds because of the disease. "I find it very hard to believe it couldn't have come from down there," he said. Dr. Moline said that little is known about the disease. "To you, it seems crystal clear," she told Officer Mayfield. "You're looking for the reason why." Dr. Herbert said that, based on the program's initial findings, she expects that more than half of the workers who have been screened will have physical or mental health conditions that require treatment. (NYTimes, May, 2005, by Kareem Fahim)
Babies inherit 9/11 mum's stress ... Pregnant women who witnessed the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11 passed on biological signs of stress to their babies, researchers suggest. Scientists from Edinburgh and New York say tests on infants when they were a year old showed they had low levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Their mothers also showed low cortisol levels, a sign someone is affected by PTSD the researchers say. The study is in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The researchers will follow the babies as the grow up to see if those with lower cortisol levels go on to develop psychological disorders when they are older. ... 'Programming': In this study, carried out in 2002, scientists from the UK's University of Edinburgh and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, the US, examined 38 women who were pregnant while at or near the World Trade Center when it was attacked. Women were asked what stage of their pregnancy they were at on 9/11 and were assessed for PTSD. Saliva tests were then carried on the women and their babies when the infants were a year old. Women who developed PTSD had lower than average levels of cortisol that those who did not. In addition, babies born to mothers with PTSD also had lower cortisol levels than those born to women who did not develop the disorder. The changes were most apparent in babies born to mothers who were in the last trimester of their pregnancies on 9-11. Professor Jonathan Seckl of the University of Edinburgh said: "The mother-to-offspring transmission of trauma has often been linked to the way the mother communicates her experience of trauma to the child, or to other consequences of parental trauma such as neglect or inconsistent behaviour towards the baby. "However, because the babies were about a year old at the time of testing, this suggests the trauma effect transfer may have to do with very early parent-child attachments, cortisol 'programming' in the womb or shared genetic susceptibility." He added: "It may be that stress has an effect on the developing brain of a fetus., ... (BBC News, 3 May 2005)
Transgenerational Effects of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Babies of Mothers Exposed to the WTC Attacks during Pregnancy ... Objective: The purpose of this study was to report on the relationshipbetween maternal PTSD symptoms and salivary cortisol levelsin infants of mothers directly exposed to the WTC collapse on September 11, 2001 during pregnancy.... Results: Lower cortisol levels were observed in both mothers(F = 5.15, df = 1, 34; P = 0.030) and babies of mothers (F =8.0, df = 1, 29; P = 0.008) who developed PTSD in response toSeptember 11 compared with mothers who did not develop PTSDand their babies. Lower cortisol levels were most apparent inbabies born to mothers with PTSD exposed in their third trimesters.Conclusions: The data suggest that effects of maternal PTSDrelated to cortisol can be observed very early in the life ofthe offspring and underscore the relevance of in utero contributorsto putative biological risk for PTSD. ...(Yehuda et al, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 90, No. 7 4115-4118, 2005)

9/11 Sick & Injured Deserve Stronger Response from Congress & President for Ongoing Health Challenges (News Release, April 30, 2005)
Talking point: Wils should have stayed despite some flaws at C.B. 1... Two large damaged and contaminated buildings still sit just off the site, seemingly untouched for two years. Standards for cleaning up these and smaller buildings are only now being addressed, based on work by another local group, Environmental Action. C.B. 1 has addressed these issues in official statements, but behind the scenes in the discussions that apparently matter the most, how strongly have they been pushed? ... (Downtown Express, By David Stanke, April 29 — May 05, 2005)
Post-9/11 funds must benefit the common good ... And environmental health concerns have not gone away. Residents and workers are concerned about the inaccurate information provided by government officials, the lack of adequate testing and the narrow definition of what counts as an environmental impact due to World Trade Center dust. ... (NYNewsday, by David Dyssegaard Kallick, April 26, 2005)
EDITORIAL: Rethinking Ground Zero ... Governor Pataki, whose legacy will be written with the rebuilding at ground zero one way or another, is the crucial figure in this new chapter in the post-9/11 story. He needs to encourage Goldman Sachs & Company energetically to keep its building downtown, and push Washington for help in bringing down the old Deutsche Bank building, now shrouded mournfully in black netting. ... (April 24, 2005)
Bush Upset Over Delayed EPA Nominee Vote .... President Bush expressed frustration Thursday that his nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency is being blocked by a senator who objects to an administration clean-air policy. Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware has said he believes Stephen Johnson, Bush's choice to lead the EPA, is well qualified. He said he is holding up the nomination ``with a heavy heart and with much regret'' because the EPA and the White House had ignored his request for an analysis of the economic, health and environmental impact of his alternative to Bush's clean-air plan. Johnson, an EPA employee for about 25 years, has been EPA's acting administrator since January. He is the first person with a science background to be tapped to lead the agency. ... (Guardian Unlimited, by Jennifer Loven, April 21, 2005)
Relationship Between Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon-DNA Adducts and Proximity to the World Trade Center and Effects on Fetal Growth ... PAHs are toxic pollutants released by the WTC fires and various urban combustion sources. Benzo[a]pyrene (BP) is a representative member of the class of PAHs. PAH-DNA adducts, or BP-DNA adducts as their proxy, provide a measure of chemical-specific genetic damage that has been associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes and cancer. To learn whether PAHs from the WTC disaster increased levels of genetic damage in pregnant women and their newborns, we analyzed BP-DNA adducts in maternal (n=170) and umbilical cord blood (n=203) obtained at delivery from non-smoking women who were pregnant on 9-11-01 and were enrolled at delivery at three downtown Manhattan hospitals. The mean adduct levels in cord and maternal blood were highest among newborns and mothers who resided within one mile of the WTC site during the month following 9-11, intermediate among those who worked but did not live within this area, and lowest in those who neither worked nor lived within one mile (reference group). Among newborns of mothers living within 1 mile of the WTC site during this time period, levels of cord blood adducts were inversely correlated with linear distance from the WTC site (p=0.02). To learn whether PAHs from the WTC disaster may have affected birth outcomes, we analyzed the relationship between these outcomes and DNA adducts in umbilical cord blood, excluding preterm births to reduce variability. There were no independent fetal growth effects of either PAH-DNA adducts or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), but adducts in combination with in utero exposure to ETS were associated with decreased fetal growth. Specifically, a doubling of adducts among ETSexposed subjects corresponded to an estimated average 276 g (8%) reduction in birth weight (p=0.03) and a 1.3 cm (3%) reduction in head circumference (p=0.04). The findings suggest that exposure to elevated levels of PAHs, indicated by PAH-DNA adducts in cord blood, may have contributed to reduced fetal growth in women exposed to the WTC event. ... (Environmental Health Perspectives, by Perera et al, April 20, 2005)
L.M.D.C. releases money report ... Catherine Hughes was particularly pleased to hear the buses would no longer be seen or smelled if the plan were done. "If you stand there for 60 seconds on a summer day you feel completely covered in grit," she said. When she wants to go to B..P.C., She often walks out of her way for safety reasons. She said her top priorities for spending the L.M.D.C. money are Greenwich St. South, improving the East River bikeway/walkway, Park Row improvements in Chinatown and money to help the Borough of Manhattan Community College clean Fiterman Hall, which was badly damaged and contaminated by the collapse of the W.T.C. buildings. ... (Downtown Express, By Josh Rogers, April 15 - 21, 2005)
Carl Weisbrod: Letters to the editor: ... In the days after the attacks, Madelyn organized Downtown residents and immediately started advocating for their needs. Leading the charge on issues ranging from access back into homes, to air quality monitoring, to planning the revitalization, Madelyn has always stayed focused on the things that have mattered the most to Downtown residents. .... (Downtown Express, April 15 - 21, 2005)
George L. Olsen: Letters to the editor .... However, the executive committees of both institutions worked closely together to deal with a host of environmental problems facing our schools, from trucks loaded down with asbestos and other hazardous materials driving past our buildings, to the noise, traffic and contamination caused by the location of a barge moored nearby as part of the clean-up effort, to the need to clean our school's air filtration systems, which were clogged with W.T.C. dust. As part of our effort, we reached out to you and our other elected representatives for help and support.... (Downtown Express, April 15 - 21, 2005)
Similar Exposure Fears: For Montanan, WTC Is Common Ground ... City workers, residents, members of the World Trade Center Community-Labor Coalition and the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health welcomed two residents of Libby, Montana to New York April 6 and gave them a guided tour of Ground Zero. Gayla Benefield, who lost a parent to asbestos-related illness, came to the city on behalf of workers and residents in her town, many of whom are dying from or have been stricken with diseases linked to asbestos exposure. ... Train Operator Dennis Boyd said some members really have trouble with the air quality in tunnels. "Sometimes you're down there and you just want a breath of fresh air," he stated. "You start to wheeze just a little on really bad days." ...(The Chief, by Ginger Adams Otis, April 15, 2005)
Stephen Johnson - nominated by the President to be the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Undercover: E.P.A. delay ... The E.P.A. World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel meeting, set for April 11, has been cancelled, leaving community members to wonder when – if ever – the 17-member panel will meet again. "If only once out of five months you have a meeting, what's happening to the momentum of the program?" said Catherine McVay Hughes, the panel's community liaison. Since the panel's chair Paul Gilman resigned on Nov. 30, the typically monthly meetings to determine the extent of W.T.C. dust contamination and what to do about it have ceased almost entirely. Since last November, here has only been one meeting — in February — led by interim chair Tim Oppelt. On Tuesday, Senator Hillary Clinton who called for the creation of the panel in 2003 with U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, met with E.P.A. administrator hopeful Steven Johnson to throw her support behind the forsaken panel. "I urge you to reschedule the meeting to occur no later than May," she penned in a missive to the nominee, who is awaiting senate confirmation this week. ... (Downtown Express, April 8 -- 14, 2005)
Nominee Is Grilled Over Program on Pesticides ... Stephen L. Johnson, President Bush's nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, encountered unexpected turbulence at his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday as Senator Barbara Boxer of California threatened to hold up his nomination over a small but controversial pesticide program in Florida. ... (NYTimes, by Michael Janofsky, April 7, 2005)
Fla. Senator Blocks Vote on EPA Nominee ... Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said Wednesday he will block a vote on President Bush's choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency until he receives assurances that a pesticide study being carried out in the Jacksonville area is halted. Nelson, a Democrat, said he was taking the action because EPA administrator nominee Stephen Johnson indicated at a hearing Wednesday that he would not cancel the two-year environmental study of infants' exposure to pesticides. ... According to a statement from Nelson's office, the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study is asking 60 families with infants in the Jacksonville area to volunteer for the study under which the children would be exposed to pesticides through routine spraying in their homes. Participating families will receive up to $970. ... (NYTimes/AP, April 6, 2005)
Not for the Squeamish: The humble earthworm may hold the key to removing one of our most deadly environmental toxins: PCBs. ... (NRDC, Spring 2005)

MARCH

The Impact of 9/11 on Asbestos Exposure ... T he collapse of the World Trade Center and the fires that burned in the wreckage for the next four months put tons of potentially toxic particulate matter and gases into the air that was breathed by many hundreds of thousands of people in the area. A minimum of six thousand people inhaled enough contaminated air to give them ongoing symptoms of respiratory illness, and hundreds of them are so disabled that they cannot work. ...We can also avert a tragedy by ensuring that anyone who does develop asbestos disease because of 9/11 is compensated for their injuries. Just as workers and others who have occupational or environmental exposure to asbestos should be compensated by the companies that made and sold asbestoscontaining products when they know how dangerous asbestos was, people who were exposed to the asbestos that was released by the World Trade Center collapse should be included in any attempt by Congress to set up a new asbestos compensation system.(Page 27, by Jonathan Bennett of NYCOSH, March 2005)
SANIT SUIT IS KILLED ... A federal judge tossed out a 9/11 toxic suit filed by nine sanitation workers after the city claimed that most of them were obese or heavy smokers. In a big victory for the city, Manhattan federal Judge Frank Maas said the plaintiffs -- who helped handle World Trade Center debris that arrived on barges at the Fresh Kills landfill — provided no evidence that their illnesses were caused by breathing WTC dust. ... (NYPost, by Carl Campanile, March 31, 2005)
The EPA Gets Ready to Announce a New Look at 9/11 Contamination ... A three-and-a-half year struggle to compel the Environmental Protection Agency to accept full responsibility to assess and clean up all 9/11-related contamination is likely to come to a head over the next several weeks. The conflict pits the EPA against a large and vocal coalition of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn residents, workers whose workplaces are in the same area, unions, elected officials and experts in public health, occupational health and environmental health. All these groups have joined together in the World Trade Center Community-Labor Coalition. .... The comment period on the draft plan highlighted the differences between the community activists and the EPA and its supporters. "There were so many problems with the EPA's draft, it's difficult to say which ones are most serious," said David Carpenter, Director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the State University of New York at Albany. "But one of the most troubling things is the lack of a sense that there is an urgent need for action when there is a possibility that many people are being exposed to a serious health hazard on a daily basis." ... Another asbestos disease expert, Dr. Michael Harbut, agreed. "It's crazy to exclude short fibers when you're talking about morbidity and mortality," he said. "There no question that short asbestos fibers have a bad health effect, it is the exact size of the effect that's unknown. I would suspect that anyone who says you don't need to count them probably doesn't live or work in Lower Manhattan." (NYCOSH, March 2005)
EPA Warns on Carcinogens' Risk to Kids ... Children may be more vulnerable than adults to cancer risks from certain gene-damaging chemicals, the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday. The agency has updated the way it decides which pollutants pose cancer risks, which is intended to lead to better and more accurate reviews of carcinogens that might be regulated. ... Under the previous EPA guidelines, last revised in 1986, cancer risks to children were assumed to be no greater than to similarly exposed adults. In the first such update in nearly 20 years, the EPA said children 2 years old and younger might be 10 times more vulnerable than adults to certain chemicals. Children between the ages of 2 and 16 might be three times more vulnerable to certain chemicals. ... (Washington Post/AP, by John Heilprin, March 30, 2005)
From Libby Montana to Lower Manhattan, Workers and Residents Push for a Clean-Up and Compensation ... (NYCOSH, March 2005)
DNA Damage from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Measured by Benzo[a]pyrene-DNA Adducts in Mothers and Newborns from Northern Manhattan, The World Trade Center Area, Poland, and China ... Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), of which benzo[a]pyrene is a representative member, are combustion-related environmental pollutants and include known carcinogens. Laboratory animal studies indicate that the dose of PAHs to the fetus is on the order of a 10th that to the mother and that there is heightened susceptibility to PAH-induced carcinogenesis during the fetal and infancy periods. Carcinogen-DNA adducts, a measure of procarcinogenic genetic damage, are considered a biomarker of increased cancer risk. ... This study suggests that the fetus may be 10-fold more susceptible to DNA damage than the mother and that in utero exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may disproportionately increase carcinogenic risk. The data support preventive policies to limit PAH exposure to pregnant women and children. ... (Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Vol. 14, 709-714, March 2005, 2005 American Association for Cancer Research, Frederica Perera, Deliang Tang1, Robin Whyatt1, Sally Ann Lederman1 and Wieslaw Jedrychowski2 )
Stephen Johnson, Bush's nominee to run the EPA, advocates the testing of pesticides on humans -- even children -- for the benefit of large chemical companies .... President Bush recently nominated Stephen L. Johnson, a 24 year veteran of the Environmental Protection Agency, to be the agency's new administrator. Mr. Johnson has been the acting administrator since January, and prior to that oversaw the EPA office handling pesticides and other toxic substances. ... During President Clinton's administration, the E.P.A. would not consider the results of controversial trials that tested pesticides on people. But after Mr. Bush was elected, Johnson changed E.P.A. policy to resume consideration. However, a panel of scientists and ethicists convened by the E.P.A. in 1998 determined that these types of trials were unethical and scientifically unsuitable to estimate the safety of chemicals. ... (Intervention Magazine, By Gene C. Gerard, March 20, 2005)
Analysis of Background Residential Dust for World Trade Center Signature Components Using Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microanalysis ... SEM/EDS analyses of dust from residential units in New York City were performed to verify the presence or absence of WTC dust. Slag wool, a signature component of WTC dust, was only found in trace amounts in four of the six samples analyzed. ... (USGS, By Heather A. Lowers, Gregory P. Meeker, and Isabelle K. Brownfield, Open-File Report 2005-1073)
Study of Asthmatic Medicaid Enrollees Suggests Negative 9/11 Impact ... A newly released results of a survey that questioned NYC Medicaid recipients about asthma symptoms shows significant increase in symptoms in low income communities since the September 11 terrorist attacks. According to a study by researchers with the New York State Department of Health, nearly half of a survey population of low-income asthma patients in New York City experienced worsened symptoms after the September 11, 2001 destruction of the World Trade Center. The study analyzed the health impact of the September 11 terrorist attacks on asthma patients enrolled in Medicaid managed care, and sheds light on how low-income and minority communities might have been affected by the disaster with respect to both respiratory and mental health. The findings, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Urban Health, corroborate previous studies on the public health ramifications of the collapse of the WTC, ...(The New Standard, by Michelle Chen, March 4, 2005)
Bush Selects Steve Johnson to Head EPA: Bush Promotes Steve Johnson to Head Environmental Protection Agency (abc news/AP, by Deb Richmann, Mar 4, 2005)
EPA Faces Questions Over Cleanup of 130 Liberty St. ... The demolition of the heavily contaminated former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street will start later, take longer and cost twice as much as previously thought. ... The EPA has been the target of criticism for taking a reactive rather than a lead role in the deconstruction. Last month the agency faced sharp questioning at a City Council hearing about the building's demolition and two others slated for demolition, 4 Albany Street and Fiterman Hall at 30 West Broadway. In submitted testimony, Congressman Jerrold Nadler cited a Bush administration directive stating that the EPA is "responsible for decontamination of buildings and affected neighborhoods" following a major incident. The EPA, he said, should be responsible for the clean-up and demolition, not just responding to the plans of private contractors. "Its comments should not have been presented as suggestions or recommendations but as imperatives. It has to take the lead, develop the plans and manage and oversee their implementation," he said. ... (Tribeca Trib, by Etta Sanders, March 2005)
9/11 cleanup may expand: EPA considers adding boro ... A thick cloud of toxic ash rained down on Brooklyn after the World Trade Center attacks, but federal cleanup plans have excluded the borough - until now. Following community outcry, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said it may now head across the East River when it begins testing homes and offices this summer for contaminated debris. "EPA is considering extending the sampling plan into Brooklyn," said EPA spokesman Michael Brown. "It's something the public has asked us to consider, so we are now considering it."... But members of the World Trade Center community advisory panel were concerned that EPA would never reach that phase. Dr. Paul Lioy, vice chairman of the Trade Center panel and an air quality expert at Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, said, "It's clear some of the dust and smoke initially went into Brooklyn." The Federal Emergency Management Agency has made available $7 million to $9 million for the sampling, according to Brown. More money could be needed if Brooklyn is included, or the EPA may take fewer samples south of Houston St. ... (NYDaily News, by Deborah Koben, March 2, 2005)
Asthma in Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees Residing in New York City: Results from a Post–World Trade Center Disaster Survey ... Forty-five percent of survey respondents reported worsened asthma post 9/11. Respondents who reported worsened asthma were significantly more likely to have utilized health services for asthma than those who reported stable or improved asthma. Residence in both lower Manhattan (adjusted OR=2.28) and Western Brooklyn (adjusted OR=2.40) were associated with self-reported worsened asthma. However, only residents of Western Brooklyn had an elevated odds ratio for emergency department/inpatient hospitalizations with diagnoses of asthma post 9/11 (adjusted OR= 1.52). Worsened asthma was reported by a significant proportion of this lowincome, largely minority population and was associated with the location of residence.... (Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, by Victoria L. Wagner, Marleen S. Radigan, Patrick J. Roohan, Joseph P. Anarella, and Foster C. Gesten, March 2005)

FEBRUARY

Deutsche demo delayed till summer ... The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation expects to begin deconstructing the former Deutsche Bank building this summer, Kevin Rampe, the corporation's president, said at a City Council hearing last week. Last November, Governor George E. Pataki said deconstruction on the Sept. 11-damaged building at 130 Liberty St. would begin in December, a start date that has endured a series of setbacks since the corporation purchased the building last August with the intention of taking it down. ... Throughout the cleanup planning process, the corporation has maintained its commitment to a "transparent" review process. Transparency has its drawbacks, Rampe told the panel at the Feb. 17 hearing. "The public is going to see that process and sometimes it's going to be ugly," he said. "What we want to be judged on is the ultimate plan."... The agency did not, however, commit to leading the oversight of the demolition process itself nor did it or the L.M.D.C. indicate which agency would take the lead should any problem arise, a commitment Gerson hopes the agency will make. ... The agency intends "take an active role" in the upcoming demolition of the Borough of Manhattan Community College's Fiterman Hall, also badly damaged on 9/11, said Evangelista. The agency also reviewed Deutsche Bank's demolition plans for 4 Albany St., which is currently being cleaned in preparation for a demolition, although it did not approve the plans. (Downtown Express, by Ronda Kaysen, February 25 - March 3, 2005)
Activists Criticize EPA Cleanup Plan ... (AM-New York, by Adam Hutton, February 25-27, 2005)
Asthma in Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees Residing in New York City: Results from a Post–World Trade Center Disaster Survey ... Forty-five percent of survey respondents reported worsened asthma post 9/11. Respondents who reported worsened asthma were significantly more likely to have utilized health services for asthma than those who reported stable or improved asthma. Residence in both lower Manhattan (adjusted OR = 2.28) and Western Brooklyn (adjusted OR = 2.40) were associated with self-reported worsened asthma. However, only residents of Western Brooklyn had an elevated odds ratio for emergency department/inpatient hospitalizations with diagnoses of asthma post 9/11 (adjusted OR = 1.52). Worsened asthma was reported by a significant proportion of this low-income, largely minority population and was associated with the location of residence. Results from this study provide guidance to health care organizations in the development of plans to ensure the health of people with asthma during disaster situations (Journal of Urban Health, February 28, 2005; Victoria L. Wagner, Marleen S. Radigan, Patrick J. Roohan, Joseph P. Anarella and Foster C. Gesten)
'IRONMAN' TRAGEDY ... Firefighter Robert Ryan was an Ironman — competing in grueling triathlons across the globe as well as tackling fires. But his days of swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles and running 26.2 miles in succession, and fighting fires are over. The World Trade Center disaster, he said, has destroyed his health. These days, Ryan can't climb the stairs without running short of breath — one of the symptoms he attributes to breathing foul air and dust for months while working on the search and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. "I tire easily now," said Ryan, 46. "It's a scary situation. I have to be on medication the rest of my life." Ryan, a firefighter with Ladder 30 in Harlem, is assigned to light duty. He has applied for a retirement disability pension due to work-related illnesses caused by working in an environmental disaster zone. Ryan was diagnosed with asthma, and said he suffers from sinus conditions, chest pains and persistent throat problems and acid indigestion. ... Because his serious respiratory and asthmatic conditions didn't surface until 2003, the federal 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund rejected his application for benefits. The fund had distributed $627 million to 1,388 injured firefighters and $84.7 million to 205 cops. Stunned and angered by the lack of support, Ryan is one of a growing number of municipal workers and other volunteers who've filed multimillion-dollar negligence suits against the city and Ground Zero operators, claiming the bosses failed to provide adequate respiratory gear to protect them from pollutants. I was the first person in my firehouse to get sick. I know guys who are getting the same symptoms," said Ryan, during an interview with his lawyers. (NYPost, by Carl Campanile, February 28, 2005)
Panel confronts post-9/11 health issues: Contaminant testing in Brooklyn has not been ruled out by the panel of experts chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review the cleaning methods after Sept. 11. ... Arguments and applause about just what the budget of the panel is then ensued, with the number $7 million thrown out as the initial number given to the panel.... Later in the day, panelist Joseph Picciano added his comments on that issue and how it related to the controversy over the EPA's voluntary testing first done immediately after Sept. 11. That testing and cleaning, which had a budget of $30 million, received major criticism over its lack of breadth and quality. It was one of the major causes of the community outrage in the first place. "Relying on voluntary participation isn't too good," said Picciano, acting director of the region 2 office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "If it didn't work too well last time, it probably won't work too well this time." ...(Disaster News, by Heather Moyer, February 24, 2005)
EPA May Test in Brooklyn for Trade Center Toxins ... We're wondering how far into Brooklyn'' testing should reach, Matthew Lorber of the EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment said at a public hearing in lower Manhattan. "There's always a cost. If we're talking about expanding, we could dilute the number of samples that are closer in vicinity to Ground Zero.'' EPA officials also said they are close to identifying the chemical "signature'' of the dust from the collapse of the towers. The cloud of debris carried pulverized concrete, and bits of fiber insulation made from minerals, known as "slag wool,'' said Jacky Rosati, an EPA researcher. Defining the dust's properties would help identify areas for cleanup. ... "We object to the EPA's plan to use three times the background level as the trigger for cleanup of asbestos, manmade vitreous fibers and silica,'' said Mattei. "Osama bin Laden should not be allowed to triple the level of pollution in our homes and workplaces.'' The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversaw the removal of debris after the Sept. 11 disaster, has earmarked $7 million to 9 million for EPA to do the reinspections, Brown said. More money probably would have to be appropriated should a second cleanup be needed, he said.(Bloomberg News, by David M. Levitt, February 23, 2005)
EPA to Oversee Building Demolitions near WTC Site: Residents Concerned about Unleashing Environmental Hazards ... Although no formal agreement exists on how federal, state and city agencies will coordinate the demolition's management, the EPA will assume a leadership role said its WTC coordinator Pat Evangelista. "There are regulations across the board and the EPA doesn't have authority over all of them, but we're doing the best we can to ensure actions are taken properly," he said. That's not enough for some. "The EPA is the only agency with the experience, expertise and resources to ensure that such demolition operations are conducted in manner that protects public health," said David Newman, industrial hygienist with the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. "The EPA has to take the lead," said Linda Rosenthal, district director for U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. "Environmental protection is not a spectator sport." Gerson said a broadcastbased emergency warning system for workers and residents was needed as part of the demolition. (PAGE 5, Metro - New York edition, by Amy Zimmer, February 18, 2005)
NYC debates post-9/11 demolition ... Some moments were heated and tense Thursday as the New York City Council Select Committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment met to discuss which agencies should be in charge of demolishing Sept. 11-contaminated buildings. ... "EPA must be the lead agency," said David Newman, industrial hygienist for the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH). "Both Presidential Decision Directive 62 of 1998 and the National Response Plan of 2004 explicitly require EPA to assume lead agency status with regard to issues of environmental health." NYCOSH has been working with the United Church of Christ since Sept. 11 on funding the testing and treatment of workers affected by the toxic dust released by the buildings. Newman added the EPA is also suited for the leadership role. " ... Linda Rosenthal, an aide from U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler's office, read testimony from Nadler and noted a similar issue. "There are four empty decontaminated buildings downtown - why are they all being treated as separate projects? The EPA has to take the lead. Environmental protection is not a spectator sport." The building at 4 Albany Street is already being demolished. Another structure set for demolition is Fiterman Hall of the Borough of Manhattan Community College. (They are the) only agency with the experience, the expertise, and the resources to ensure that such demolition operations are conducted in a manner that protects public health while ensuring effective removal and proper disposal of hazardous materials." ...(Disaster News, by Heather Moyer, February 18, 2005)
EPA to oversee building demolitions near WTC site: Residents concerned about unleashing environmental hazards ... They feel the best way to ensure their safety is for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to oversee the process. Yet, many are unconvinced this will happen despite assurances from the EPA at a City Council hearing yesterday.Last month, the EPA rejected the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's demolition plan to destroy the building at 130 Liberty Street, which they own. They said the LMDC had inadequate protections against potential environmental hazards. The LMDC will submit a revised plan in the next few weeks, officials said. But many feel the EPA is evading responsibility by not outlining a plan for the LMDC. "In light of the EPA's recent criticism of the LMDC's plan, it is clear that the government agencies involved have yet to put in place adequate precautions to ensure the health and safety of residents and workers in Lower Manhattan," City Councilmember Alan Gerson, D-Manhattan, said. ...(Metro, 2/18/05)
Demolition of 9-11 Contaminated Buildings: How will Government Protect the Workers and Residents of New York? Briefing Paper of the Infrastructure Division: Select Committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment (February 17, 2005)
Council Sorts Out Who Will Demolish Contaminated Buildings ... The City Council held a hearing Thursday to sort out which government agencies are responsible for the demolition of three buildings contaminated by the World Trade Center attack. ... The committee addressed concerns about the health and safety of residents and workers in the area when the buildings are brought down. At issue is which agency should oversee demolition of the former Deutsche Bank building, as well as another building still owned by Deutsche Bank and a third building owned by the City University of New York. ... The committee also questioned the head of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which bought the Deutche Bank location for redevelopment at the World Trade Center site. The LMDC's initial demolition plan was not accepted by the EPA and is being revised. ... (NY1, February 17, 2005)
An Overseer Is Chosen for All Work Downtown ... Charles J. Maikish, a former Port Authority official who was responsible for rebuilding the World Trade Center after the 1993 terrorist attack, was named yesterday to oversee rebuilding throughout downtown. He is to be the first executive director of the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, created three months ago by Gov. George E. Pataki and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to bring some order to the building, demolition and roadwork in one of the city's densest and most constricted quarters. Neighbors and businesses have despaired about the prospect of so much work occurring simultaneously that streets will become impassable, noise will become deafening and the air will grow thick with dust, if not hazardous contaminants. "Within six months, we're going to have so much construction down here that it's good he's coming now," said Madelyn Wils, the chairwoman of Community Board 1. ...In his new $200,000-a-year job, Mr. Maikish will supervise work in Lower Manhattan south of Canal Street and southwest of Rutgers Street. The command center will coordinate all roadwork and other construction projects that are valued at more than $25 million, that are financed by Liberty Bonds or that require government action or permits. Though his full-time transition from the bank to the command center will not occur until April, Mr. Maikish said in an interview yesterday that he intended to begin immediately. "This is the right time," he said. "Six months from now would be too late." ... (NYTimes, by David W. Dunlap, February 15, 2005)
Construction coordinator named for downtown ... A construction coordinator has been named to oversee building projects in lower Manhattan, following public pushes by downtown constituents who have complained about delays in decision-making.Charles Maikish was appointed executive director of the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, which is charged with overseeing the work of city and state agencies and private interests as well as settling disputes among them. ... Mr. Maikish will transition into his new role in March and assume full-time responsibility in April....(Crains, by Wendy Blake, February 14, 2005)
$45 Million More Is Sought to Clean Trade Center Tower ... ow that they know the extent of hazardous contamination in the former Deutsche Bank building opposite ground zero, state redevelopment officials will seek an extra $45 million to clean the 40-story tower before they dismantle it. In another measure of how complex this site-clearance project has become, officials estimate that it cannot start until midyear at the earliest. Only three months ago, Gov. George E. Pataki said demolition of the building, at 130 Liberty Street, would begin in December. ... The financing request will be made this morning to the development corporation board. It has already approved a separate $45 million demolition contract with the Gilbane Building Company. ... Under the 2004 agreement, the corporation's demolition liability is capped at $45 million, so state officials expect to be reimbursed for the extra money they now need to spend. But they also said they did not expect the bank or the insurers, Allianz Global Risks U.S. Insurance Company and AXA Corporate Solutions Insurance Company, simply to hand over the reimbursement without negotiation or, perhaps, arbitration before Mr. Mitchell. Therefore, Mr. Rampe said, today's request for $45 million - about $40 million for cleanup and $5 million for administrative and legal costs - is a stopgap that will allow the project to proceed once the demolition plan has been approved by regulators. "We're putting the money up," Mr. Rampe said. "The overwhelming majority of the money we fully anticipate recovering from Deutsche Bank and the insurers." ... The 2004 agreement requires the insurers to pay increased costs from complying with legal requirements governing the cleaning and disposal of debris, dust and mold. The bank may be responsible for material like asbestos-containing tiles and caulking that was in place before the attack. ... (NYTimes, by David W. Dunlap, February 10, 2005)
Deutsche Bank Tower Demolition Cost Soars to $90 Mil .... A spokesman for Axa, Ingo Koch, said the insurer wanted to study the matter before responding. ``We need to see the facts and evaluate them before we can talk about any consequence or impact,'' Koch said yesterday in an interview by phone from Germany. Allianz is ``in close conversation'' with the development agency ``to find out the real amount, and who's paying what,'' spokesman Ashraf Sharkawy said. ``This doesn't necessarily mean the insurer will bear the cost.'' Rohini Pragasam, a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bank in New York, declined to comment. Rampe said the original cost ``was premised upon the insurers' characterization of the building, its condition and the cost of taking it down.'' ... Two residential buildings are across a narrow street from the building, and the World Financial Center, home of Dow Jones & Co., Merrill Lynch & Co. and American Express Co. is nearby. If the insurers and the bank resist additional charges, former U.S. Senator George Mitchell may step in as an arbitrator, as set forth in the sale agreement. Mitchell, chairman of the Walt Disney Co., mediated the sale and the settlement of litigation between the bank and the insurers last year at Pataki's request. ... (Bloomberg News, By David M. Levitt, 2005-02-10)
More Money Approved To Clean Deutsche Bank Building ... More money will be needed to take down one of the last standing reminders of the World Trade Center attack. On Thursday, the board of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation approved an additional $45 million to clean the Deutsche Bank building, which is across the street from the trade center site and was heavily damaged when the twin towers fell. The money, among other things, will be used for remediation and mitigation measures, construction management, legal and environmental consultants and integrity monitoring The LMDC had already approved a separate $45 million contract to demolish the building. ... Demolition had been scheduled for last December, but concerns about releasing contaminants into the air have caused delays. (NY1, February 14, 2005)
Ecological Impact of 9/11: Lingering Threats: Contamination May Still Lurk Near Ground Zero (Part Three of Three) .... In the eyes of many people who live and work near the Manhattan site of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the government's response to their demands for more testing and decontamination have been woefully inadequate.... Community representatives have issued several demands before the panel, including that "where test results warrant, EPA will decontaminate not only the tested buildings but the neighborhoods affected by 9/11 contaminants," that the range of the testing and clean-up be expanded to include Brooklyn and other parts of Manhattan, and that the EPA support public health monitoring and treatment programs related to contamination. The planning process for full-scale decontamination, stymied by political tensions between the agency and community members, has lumbered on for nearly a year, and some are losing hope that the EPA, given its track record, will finally meet its purported goals. Michael Brown, an EPA associate assistant administrator for research and development, said the agency intends to carry out the plan it is currently drafting as soon as possible. "We wouldn't have a sampling plan if we didn't intend to implement it," he told TNS. Asked about the timetable of the process, Mary Mears, the EPA's regional spokesperson, said that the EPA would "definitely" conduct at least one round of environmental tests in Lower Manhattan, "but when that starts is really going to depend on' how long it takes us to finalize the plan." She added, "There's no date certain." However, Hugh Kaufman, a former chief investigator for the EPA Ombudsman's office, which was dissolved after it publicly criticized the Agency's handling of the disaster, called the panel "a political set-up to buy time, because they [EPA] don't want to do what they're required to do, which is clean up New York." The panel itself is limited to an advisory role, Kaufman noted, so the EPA ultimately has the last word on how the clean-up will be implemented, if at all. When asked if he foresaw the EPA moving forward with the clean-up plan in the near future, he replied, "With this administration? Don't hold your breath." ... (The New Standard, by Michelle Chen, February 7, 2005)
Grand jury accuses W.R. Grace of hiding health dangers ... W.R. Grace and Co., along with seven of its senior employees, conspired for decades to hide the health dangers posed by the company's asbestos-laced vermiculite mined near Libby, intentionally exposing miners and hundreds of other residents in the small town to illness and death, a federal grand jury indictment released Monday charges. The 10-count indictment accuses top Grace executives and managers of intentionally keeping secret numerous studies spelling out the risk cancer-causing tremolite asbestos posed to its customers, employees and Libby residents. In Libby alone, the asbestos contamination is blamed for the deaths of about 200 residents and sickness in hundreds more. ...(Associated Press, Billings Gazette, February 7, 2005)
Deutsche Plan must change, agency rules ... The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation intends to respond within a few weeks to the Environmental Protection Agency's extensive criticisms of its draft plan to deconstruct the former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St. On Monday, the E.P.A. released a critical assessment of the L.M.D.C.'s plan to raze the World Trade Center disaster damaged building, which, according to the E.P.A.'s findings, still has the "significant potential for releases of contamination." ... However, the E.P.A. is not the regulatory agency for all issues. The city's Dept. of Environmental Protection, for example, regulates asbestos and the Dept. of Labor regulates worker safety. ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, February 4 - 10, 2005)
E.P.A. to communicate more on Albany St. ... The Environmental Protection Agency plans to dole out any information it gets about contamination at 4 Albany St. to Community Board 1. Heeding concerns from local residents about possible contamination from the demolition of the Deutsche Bank-owned building, the agency will report any contamination alerts to C.B. 1 as it receives them. In a Jan. 19 closed meeting between representatives from the E.P.A. and C.B. 1, the two groups hammered out a plan to improve lines of communication should one of the monitors at the World Trade Center disaster-damaged building detect contamination levels that meet the E.P.A.'s work stoppage criteria."If there is an exceedence that's not a blip, meaning there's lead or asbestos and it's going on for a few days, then we will need to notify people and give them the opportunity to decide what they want to do about it," Madelyn Wils, C.B. 1 chairperson, said in a telephone interview. "If that should ever occur we would want to go on a building by building basis to notify people." ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, February 4 - 10, 2005)
Congress Members Request Health Care for 9/11 Rescue Workers, Residents ... The thousands of people exposed to the dust and debris that fell after the attacks on the World Trade Center three years ago are still in desperate need of medical attention, said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., Wednesday. ... (Kansas City info Zine, By Jessie Bonner, February 04, 2005)
9/11 Sick and Injured Describe Ongoing Health and Financial Struggles ... A coalition of Ground Zero first responders, area residents, medical experts, and public offials met at Penn Station, before a trip to Washington, D.C. to speak directly to members of Congress to urge Washington leaders to improve the federal response to the lasting and significant health impacts of 9/11. Specifically, the group focused on the need for Congress and the president to publicly acknowledge the long-term scope and and Volunteer Medical Monitoring Program, provide safety-net health treatment for those sick and injured from 9/11 but without adequate health insurance, and make the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund available to those whose illness or injury from 9/11 is emerging or growing worse over time, and for those who were never properly informed that they were eligible for compensation. (Homeland Response, by Sandy Smith, 02/03/05)
The Remember 9/11 Health Act ... To provide protections and services to certain individuals after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, in New York City, in the State of New York, and for other purposes.... Residents of the City of New York need to be included in any health monitoring program to best protect their long-term health.... (February 3, 2005)
9/11 Sick and Injured Describe Ongoing Health and Financial Struggles ... Dr. Stephen Levin, MD, medical director of the Mount Sinai Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said his facility continues to see patients with serious and persistent upper respiratory, lower respiratory, mental health and other effects. "Much more remains critically needed to support the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of World Trade Center responders, and others," said Levine, adding, "all those who today and possibly in the future find themselves seriously ill as a result of the September 2001 terrorist attacks." ... Joel Shufro, executive director of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, noted that in addition to providing health care for all the workers and the residents who are sick because they were exposed to 9/11-related contamination, efforts must be made to ensure that no one is exposed to toxic material in the future. "There are at lease three buildings near the WTC that must be demolished because they were so badly contaminated on 9/11," Shufro pointed out. "The workers who do the demolition and everyone who lives near the buildings are going to be at risk of exposure the toxic contamination. In order to make certain that the no new exposure takes place, these unprecedented demolition jobs must be performed with the utmost care." (Homeland Response, by Sandy Smith, 02/03/2005)
Hours Before Bush Address, Nadler Demands that EPA Meet its Responsibility to Protect Americans: Congressman joins victims of 9/11 attacks at Capitol Hill press conference ... At a press conference today with first responders and New York residents who suffer from 9/11-related health problems, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) renewed his call for the Environmental Protection Agency to take the lead in ensuring safe demolition of the Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street. "I know we're going to hear tonight about the President's military response to 9/11, but I doubt we'll hear much about his environmental response," Congressman Nadler said. "And that worries me. EPA continues to ignore the health and safety needs of people living near Ground Zero, despite its legal obligation to act. More than three years have passed since 9/11, but the environmental issues at Ground Zero are far from resolved." Under Presidential Decision Directive 62, and reiterated in the National Strategy for Homeland Security, issued in July 2002, EPA is mandated to clean up buildings contaminated in a terrorist attack. ... (Press Release, February 2, 2005)
EPA: Plans to demolish building are dangerous ... The Lower Manhattan Development Corporations's plans to tear down the Deutsche Bank building at Ground Zero do not protect the public from toxic contaminants inside the 40-story building, according to a federal agency overseeing the project. The plans are "not acceptable" as written and need to be "materially strenghened," in many significant ways according to the federal Environemntal Protection Agency, which sent a critque of the plan to the corporation Monday after six weeks of review ... (amNewYork, by Adam Hutton, February 2, 2005)
Do Demolition Right: am opinion .... The LMDC plan [130 Liberty Street, Deutsche Bank Building] was obviously inadequate ... It's focus only on remvoing asbestos, even though many other hazards are present. ... as dangerous as dioxin is, there are no regulations to protect workers from it... But LMDC must do more than comply with the regulator's requirement. It must, for example, plan protection against dioxin, even if no regulator requires it.... (amNewYork, by Joel Sufro, February 2, 2005)
The LMDC is playing games with the 'Toxic Tower': am opinion.... The LMDC must give those firefighters at the E10/L10 house the HEPA vacuum cleaners that they need and requested to maintain their firehouse. The LMDC must also monitor and prevent any contamination of the firehouse by installing sufficient barriers/air control devices... Two firefighters of the firehouse have recently left full service because of bad lungs... (amNewYork, by Joel R. Kupprman, January 2, 2005)
E.P.A. Criticizes Plan for Razing Bank Near Ground Zero ... The federal Environmental Protection Agency warned yesterday that the draft demolition plan for the former Deutsche Bank building opposite ground zero does not adequately guard against a "significant potential for releases of contamination." Pat Evangelista, the agency's World Trade Center coordinator, said the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation should revise and resubmit a "materially strengthened" plan to tear down the contaminated 40-story bank building at 130 Liberty Street. Studies have shown high levels of asbestos, lead, trade center dust and other contaminants in the building, which has not been occupied since Sept. 11, 2001. The corporation acquired it last year with the goal of tearing it down.... "We will modify the plan in accordance with their comments," said Kevin M. Rampe, the corporation president. "That's why we're going through this process, so that we can incorporate the agencies' concerns and assure that once deconstruction takes place, it occurs within regulatory requirements." Specifically, the federal agency said the current air monitoring plan for 130 Liberty Street is "not acceptable" because it is unclear which of its fragmented elements would be followed during demolition. The agency called for the sampling of particles 2.5 microns in diameter - 1/30 the width of a human hair - which are believed to pose the greatest health risk. "It is essential that these emissions be controlled and do not further contribute to the already unhealthful levels of fine particles in Lower Manhattan," the agency said in its comments. Air monitors should be placed around the residential areas of Battery Park City, nearby schools and commercial areas, the agency said. The agency urged that work areas at 130 Liberty Street be enclosed and kept under negative air pressure when wallboard, sprayed-on fireproofing, bathroom fixtures, built-in shelving and small pieces of equipment are taken out. Because some windows will already have been removed and dust will have been stirred up, this work "would increase the risk of releases of contaminants into the environment if containment is not utilized," the agency said. Speaking about a proposed debris chute, the E.P.A. said, "We are concerned that the disposal shaft not be a source of dust release." The agency criticized the draft plan because it "does not provide any information on the manner in which mold and bacterial contamination will be addressed." It said the outline of emergency procedures did not discuss plans with local hospitals. Under law, the agency said, the development corporation will be regarded as a generator of hazardous wastes along with Gilbane and therefore will be "liable for mismanagement of that waste." ... (New York Times, by David W. Dunlap, February 1, 2005)
Feds warn building demolition plan does not protect against contaminants ... The Environmental Protection Agency criticized a demolition plan for the defunct Deutsche Bank building near the World Trade Center site because it did not give enough protection against a potential release of contaminants. ...(NYNewsday/AP, February 1, 2005)
EPA delays razing building contaminated with 9/11 debris ... Proposals to strip the bank building of its internal materials behind double plastic sheeting, to contain contaminants, must be bolstered to prevent "an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and the environment," Pat Evangelista, the EPA's World Trade Center coordinator, said yesterday in a letter to the redevelopment agency. "It is evident that there is significant potential for releases of contamination," the letter said. ... (Philadelphia Inquirer/Bloomberg News, by David M. Leviit, Feb. 1, 2005)
HEALTH-U.S.: The Ghosts of Ground Zero ... When President George W. Bush gives his State of the Union address Wednesday night, he will undoubtedly mention the terror attacks of Sep. 11, 2001. What he won't talk about, critics say, is the ongoing failure of federal watchdogs like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make downtown Manhattan safe for workers and residents, thousands of whom are still sick from exposure to toxins like asbestos, dioxin and PCBs. "The EPA is mandated to clean up buildings contaminated in terrorist attacks, and the EPA has refused to obey the law," says New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler. ... (IPS, by Katherine Stapp, Feb. 1, 2005)

JANUARY

EPA Delays Razing Deutsche Bank Tower at Ground Zero ... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delayed approval of plans to demolish lower Manhattan's Deutsche Bank building, contaminated with toxins by Sept. 11 debris, saying antipollution safeguards must be strengthened. ... Proposals to strip the tower of its internal materials behind double plastic sheeting, to contain contaminants, must be bolstered to prevent ``an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and the environment,'' Pat Evangelista, the EPA's World Trade Center coordinator, said in a letter today to the development agency. ``It is evident that there is significant potential for releases of contamination,'' the letter said. The EPA decision won't affect the 2009 completion of the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower and a Sept. 11 memorial, redevelopment agency spokeswoman Joanna Rose said in an interview. The agency had told lower Manhattan residents that it expected demolition to start this month. ... (Bloomberg News, by David M. Levitt, January 31, 2005)
UM study links Libby asbestos, immune disease risks ... University of Montana researchers have documented a link between asbestos and the red flags for autoimmune diseases that the human body sends out, a study of interest to Libby residents and people with such diseases as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. The study looked at blood samples from 50 residents of Libby - a town contaminated by decades of vermiculite mining and asbestos - and compared them to samples from a control group, matched by age and sex, of 50 people living in Missoula. What the study found, said UM researcher Jean Pfau, is that the Libby residents were much more likely to have certain proteins in their blood - autoantibodies known as antinuclear antibodies, or ANAs - that the body mistakenly sends out and which attack tissues, organs and cells. ... (Missoulian, by Mea Andrews, January 31, 2005)
Ecological Impact of 9/11: Caught in the Smoke: Employees, Residents Cope With 9/11 Fallout ... Today, like the eerie pit marking the former site of the Twin Towers, the environmental imprint of the collapse still haunts the surrounding communities -- and, many say, continues to threaten their health. Three years after the initial impact, advocates remain determined not to let the issue fade from public view under the second Bush administration. On Tuesday, a citywide coalition of health, environmental, community and labor organizations, including the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health and the New York State Public Employees Federation, will head to Washington, DC to attend the President's State of the Union address and demand that the White House and Congress finally act on the public health needs of the "Ground Zero Community." The mission is the latest marker in a protracted struggle between government authorities and concerned residents and workers. (Subscription Required, The NewStandard, Part Two of a Three-Part Series, by Michelle Chen, Jan. 31, 2005)
Stephen Johnson steps in as interim EPA chief ... Stephen Johnson has assumed the duties of acting EPA administrator after Michael Leavitt left the agency to become secretary of Health and Human Services. The Senate confirmed Leavitt Jan. 26. Johnson, a 24-year veteran of the EPA, has served as deputy administrator since Aug. 2, 2004. Before that he headed the EPA´s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, and held numerous positions within the agency.Johnson has a bachelor´s degree in biology from Taylor University in Upland, Ind., and a master´s degree in pathology from George Washington University in Washington. (Waste News, Jan. 28, 2005)
9/11 cleanup urged: EPA critics say toxic fumes contaminated boro ... Despite the toxic plume that blanketed Brooklyn after the Sept. 11 attacks, the borough is not included in a federal plan to clean up contaminated debris. The federal Environmental Protection Agency's plan will first test downtown Manhattan homes and offices for asbestos, silica, lead and other toxins, an EPA official said. "The EPA fully recognizes some people would like us to go to Brooklyn now, but it's really just a practical matter of, 'We had to start somewhere,'" the official said, adding Brooklyn may be included in a later cleanup. Critics said Brooklyn should be in the first round of voluntary cleanups, expected to start in Manhattan as early as June.... If toxins are found in Manhattan, then the cleanup will be expanded to Brooklyn, the EPA official insisted. ...The community advisory report also advised that the EPA widen the contaminant list to include mercury and dioxin and give guarantees that the federal government will pay for the costly cleanup. (NYDaily News, by Hugh Son, January 28, 2005)
Choking Downtown ... Consider, too, Pataki's failure to break the logjam over Fiterman Hall. With no agreement on a cleanup plan, the college building will remain a blackened hulk near Ground Zero on the fourth anniversary of 9/11. ... Fixing or rebuilding Fiterman Hall will cost under $200 million — peanuts for Downtown. ... (NYPost, By Steve Cuozzo, January 28, 2005)
A Towering Reminder ... LMDC will comply with all applicable OSHA, NYS DOL asbestos regulations, EPA, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and NYC Buildings Department, and otherwise applicable regulations. We will be consistently monitoring the surrounding air quality and we will do so in a transparent fashion. As with all projects embarked on by the LMDC, we are conducting this process openly. All information about the project has been — and will continue to be -- shared with the public and the regulatory agencies as it becomes available. This public engagement will continue until the deconstruction is completed. (Oped amNew York , By Kevin M. Rampe, LMDC President, January 28, 2005)
Napoli Bern LLP Law Firm Involved In Major Lawsuit On Behalf Of Ground Zero Cleanup Workers Suffering From "WTC Toxic Diseases" ... The Napoli Bern LLP law firm is currently involved in filing complaints against property owners and others on behalf of over 800 plaintiffs in the first major class lawsuit on behalf of cleanup workers at Ground Zero of the World Trade Center. Thousands more are expected to join the lawsuit with over one billion dollars being sought for victim medical testing. The lawsuit is being filed against owners, managers, controllers and leasers of the World Trade Center complex. The cleanup workers have been affected by the high levels of lethal toxins which were present at Ground Zero following the events on September 11, 2001. These afflictions which are known as 'WTC Toxic Diseases' could also affect many of the people who live and work around the area of the cleanup.Napoli Bern, LLC along with the law firm of Worby, Groner, Edelman are involved with thousands of individual lawsuits, notices of claims and other filings. These lawsuits are being filed against many governmental bodies including New York City, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on behalf of their individual clients. ... (Press Release, January 27, 2005)
9/11 Cleanup Continues: As officials prepare to demolish some of the last buildings damaged on September 11, 2001, an environmental expert expresses concern about the impact on residents and workers ... The demolition of any high-rise building in and of itself is a cause for concern because of the potential for unintended releases—which means anything that's contained in the building can ultimately make its way outside if it's not properly controlled. When you add to the mix the World Trade Center contamination "if I lived or worked downtown, I'd want to know this demolition is proceeding with the most stringent controls possible to prevent any emissions to the outside of potentially harmful substances. ... (Newsweek/MSN, by Julie Scelfo, Jan. 27, 2005)
New Research Report Urges Stop to Further 911 Fatalities ... The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) today released an alarming research report on the effects of 911. The report concludes that over one hundred thousand individuals present in Manhattan during and immediately after the collapse of the Twin Towers are at risk to become future victims of the terrorist attack. ... Mesothelioma is an aggressive, usually-lethal cancer against which current standard treatments have little or no effect.... MARF is therefore recommending that Congress take action now to prevent further suffering and death from the terrorists' despicable act. To spur development of effective mesothelioma treatments, MARF is calling on Congress to establish a National Mesothelioma Research and Treatment Program with funding of $28 million per year. MARF's Science Advisory Board and other experts believe that recent developments in experimental treatments and protocols demonstrate that with adequate funding, a cure for this cruel disease is within reach. ... (Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundatio Press Release, January 27, 2005)
Senate confirms Leavitt as HHS chief; EPA top spot remains vacant ...The U.S. Senate confirmed Michael Leavitt as the nation´s new secretary of Health and Human Services during a voice vote taken Jan. 26. Leavitt´s confirmation creates a vacancy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he has served as administrator since November 2003. President Bush has not nominated a successor, nor has the White House released the names of candidates the president might consider. However, many consider three people to be among those most likely to be nominated as Leavitt´s successor: James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Steve Johnson, deputy EPA administrator, and Idaho Gov. Dick Kempthorne, a Republican. (WasteNews, Jan. 26, 2005)
Critics Question Safety of Plan to Raze Contaminated Site ... At the Deutsche Bank building opposite ground zero, a new look at hard-to-reach spaces -shafts, ducts, conduits and upper elevations of the exterior - has confirmed the presence of high levels of asbestos, lead and other contaminants, a consultant to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation said Monday night....Federal, state and city regulators have not yet responded to the plan, issued a month ago by the development corporation, which will need government permits before it can demolish the building. It is not clear when exactly that work will begin.... The federal Environmental Protection Agency is concerned about the lack of information on air monitoring and contaminant levels in the building's interstices, said Mary Mears, chief of public outreach in the agency's regional office.... Average concentrations of asbestos, lead and silica on the exterior were found to exceed the benchmarks. Asbestos and lead exceeded the benchmarks in the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning ductwork; in elevator and pipe shafts; and in conduits through the floors. Lead and silica exceeded the benchmarks in cavities behind the curtain wall. Silica exceeded the benchmarks in cavities between interior walls. Asbestos and silica exceeded the benchmarks in the fireproofing.(NYTimes, by David W. Dunlap, by January 26, 2005)
High levels of hazardous materials found in building next to trade center site .... Critics of the plan were worried that workers would not be protected from the hazardous materials. "Workers are essentially, and unfortunately, the canaries for the community," said David M. Newman of the nonprofit New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. ...(NYNewsday, January 26, 2005)
Toxic Tower: Critics hit LMDC for lax plan to deal with deadly dead ... Rep Jerrold Nadler yesterday called the Lower Manhattan Develoment Corporation "irresponsible" for the way it is handling the demollition of the Deutsche Bank building that filled with toxic World Trade Center dust on 9/11." New testes have found dangerous levels of contaminants in the building at 130 Liberty Street, including asbestos concentration 100 times greater than the threshold for health risks ... (amNewYork, by Adam Hutton, January 26, 2005)
Contaminants found near WTC site ... High levels of asbestos, lead and other contaminants have been found in a vacant skyscraper badly damaged during the 2001 terror attacks, potentially complicating the rebuilding of ground zero. ... (CNN/AP, January 26, 2005)
High Levels Of Contaminants At WTC Site ... An examination of shafts, ducts, conduits and other areas of the abandoned Deutsche Bank, near the World Trade Center site, shows high levels of contaminants like lead, asbestos and other materials. ... (1010Wins, Jan. 26, 2005)
OWENS DEMANDS EPA TO TEST FOR 9/11 CONTAMINATION IN BROOKLYN ... Congressman Major R. Owens today demanded that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conduct testing in Brooklyn for toxic contamination attributable to the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Center. Owens pointed to a newly released report by EPA experts that strongly advised testing for building contaminants in Brooklyn as well as patterns of adverse health effects among its residents. ...(News Release, January 25, 2005)
Plan Unveiled To Demolish Deutsche Bank Building ... "There's nowhere in the entire emergency action plan or in the documentation that says we are the agency accountable to the community to make sure nothing happens, and if it does we will notify them, protect them and clean things up," said Lower Manhattan resident Kelly Colangelo. Officials are awaiting review from regulatory agencies, including the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Deconstruction was originally set to start this month. ... (NY1, January 25, 2005)
EPA-Backed Scientists Call For Overhaul Of Ground Zero Dust Sampling Plan ... EPA's proposed testing plan for gauging indoor contamination from the Sept. 11 World Trade Center terrorist attacks has come under severe criticism by an expert advisory panel that the agency itself vetted, raising the prospect of a far more expensive cleanup or a protracted fight between EPA and New York community groups. ... Topping the list of the recommendations is for EPA to start sampling for contaminants and cleaning up immediately instead of postponing this work until it has developed a signature, or a chemical formula that would identify dust contaminated by the 9/11 fires and building collapses. The test plan describes the signature as one of its cornerstones, but the panel report suggests it may not be possible to devise a reliable one, since the fires and collapses are likely to exhibit different signatures at different distances, if they exhibit signatures at all. If there were a signature, that'd be wonderful, one panel member says. But, frankly, we don't think there is one. The panel report stops short of explicitly recommending EPA give up altogether on searching for a signature, but it urges it to do so indirectly, the member adds. ... (SUBCRIPTION REQUIRED, Inside EPA, by Joe Morris, January 24, 2004)
B.M.C.C. building plan remains in limbo ... Little has changed in the three and a half years since Fiterman Hall at Borough of Manhattan Community College was damaged by the collapse of 7 World Trade Center. The building still stands at 30 West Broadway, shrouded and awaiting its fate. Even after B.M.C.C. president Antonio Pérez spoke about plans to demolish it at a W.T.C. committee meeting this month, it is still entirely unclear how, when and under what circumstances the 15-story building will come down. "They need to come back to us with more concrete plans," Richard Kennedy, W.T.C. committee chairperson and a B.M.C.C. board member, told Downtown Express. "And something in writing." Demolition plans are sketchy. ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, Jan. 21 - 27, 2005)
Ecological Impact of 9/11: Ground Zero: The Most Dangerous Workplace, Part One of a Three-Part Series ... Activists argue that while the public health impact of the contamination has been observed and documented for over three years, government agencies have done little to investigate the long-term effects, and even less to provide public treatment resources. ... (The New Standard, by Michelle Chen, Jan. 24, 2004)
Panel Of Scientists Wants More Testing For Contamination At WTC Site ... A group of scientists says there are flaws in the way the government wants to test for contamination at the World Trade Center site. The independent Expert Advisory Committee, made up of six scientists, submitted its report to the Environmental Protection Agency this week. The committee wants tests done for mercury, small fiber asbestos and other toxins from Ground Zero. The report also urges the EPA to test buildings in parts of Brooklyn for contamination and to look at the health of residents as they determine a zone for testing. ... (NY1, January 19, 2005)
Independent Scientific Advisory Committee Finds Serious Flaws in EPA'S Proposed WTC Sampling Program: Urges EPA to Commit to Cleanup Wherever Contaminants Remain (News Release, January 19)
L.M.D.C. switches air quality firms ... The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. board voted on Thursday to change the company monitoring air quality during the deconstruction of the Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St. The L.M.D.C.'s Amy Peterson said there was no problem with the current firm, Ambient Group, but the agency wanted to have an open bidding process for the contract. Peterson said 34 firms bid on the contract and she recommended the board hire one or more of the following five firms for a two-year, $500,000 contract: AKRF Inc., BEM Systems, GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., LiRo Engineers and TRC Engineers. Although the contract grew out of a bidding process, Peterson said the development corporation would be paying roughly the same rates it has been paying Ambient. The money comes out of previously authorized money in the L.M.D.C.'s Partial Action Plan 7, approved by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development last year. The $176 million plan included $164 million to cover the costs of buying and dismantling the damaged Deutsche building across from the World Trade Center site. (Downtown Express, by Josh Rogers, Jan. 14 - 20, 2005)
Demolition plan stirs concern ... Several 9/11 environmental controversies have fueled skepticism that officials would demolish the building safely. A few days after the attacks, the Environmental Protection Agency declared the air in downtown Manhattan safe, a finding criticized as rash by the EPA's own inspector general. Some Lower Manhattan residents also called the EPA's cleaning of apartments near ground zero inadequate, leading to a new testing of their residences this year. Several government agencies are reviewing the LMDC plan with the EPA. ... (Philadelphia Inquirer, By Miriam Hill, Jan. 14, 2005)
After demolition begins, Deutsche presents 4 Albany St. plan ... The small, neo-classical building at 4 Albany St., damaged and contaminated in the World Trade Center disaster, will face a similar fate of demolition with its neighboring Deutsche Bank building, although without the same level of public scrutiny. Representatives for Deutsche Bank, which owns the 4 Albany St. property, presented plans for a two-phase demolition process at a Community Board 1 World Trade Center committee meeting on Jan. 10. PAL Environmental Safety Corporation, the contractor hired by Deutsche Bank to demolish the 10-story structure, began work on Dec. 27, although this was the first time Deutsche Bank informed the public about its plans for the site in detail.... Unlike the former Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty St., which was sold last August to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, a state and city agency, 4 Albany St. is a private building owned by a private company that is not using public funds for the demolition. Beholden to no city agency, Deutsche Bank is not required to open its doors for public scrutiny. C.B. 1 members were chagrined to learn that Deutsche Bank has no plans for relaying possible contamination problems to the community. "You need to establish a way to communicate quickly to the community and to the public at large," Madelyn Wils, C.B. 1 chairperson, told the Deutsche Bank representatives. ... (Downtown Express, By Ronda Kaysen, Jan. 14 - 20, 2005)
Toxic Cleanup: Deutsche Bank Demolition Poses Public Health Risk ... An environmental expert warned yesterday that toxic chemicals may be dispersed into the air later this month when work crews start cleaning up and tearing down the Deutsche Bank building. Dave Newman, of the EPA World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel, told amNewYork that the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. does not yet have proper safeguards to minimize health risks to New Yorkers who live and work downtown. ...(amNewYork, By Adam Hutton, January 12, 2005)
9/11 relic's legacy of health fears ... On the street above, immediately south of Ground Zero, sits the monolithic 40-story tower at 130 Liberty St., shrouded in black netting - a grim monument to the worst terrorist attack on American soil. A fence stands around the 1.4-million-square-foot building, unused since Sept. 11, 2001. Security guards watch for intruders. The round-the-clock buzz of electronic sensors sampling the air quality can be heard above the subway grates on Greenwich Street. Around the corner, beneath what may be one of the most polluted places in the city, is the subway's Albany Street Fan Plant #7237. The two 200-horsepower ventilation fans, located below the sidewalk outside the Deutsche Bank building, would be used to pump fresh air into the subway during a fire. "A combination of contaminants known to be hazardous to human health, unparalleled in any other building designed for office use, permeates the entire structure," said a damage report prepared for the building's original owner, Deutsche Bank. These include asbestos, lead, mercury, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and World Trade Center dust. And you thought the subway air was bad. With the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. set to begin cleaning and contaminant removal in the coming weeks in advance of the tower's demolition, it remains unclear what, if any, steps are being taken to protect subway riders from exposure. "You have to remember, the state's the landlord here," environmental lawyer Joel Kupferman said the other day. ... Dr. David Carpenter, of the Institute for Health and the Environment at SUNY Albany, said it will be virtually impossible to bring down the building without releasing dust into the air. "When you've got something that draws air into the subway system you know damn well it's going to draw everything that comes out of that contaminated building," he said. ... "As far as we know, no one is doing testing of possible penetration of contaminants or water into the subway system," Kupferman said. "This is going to have long term, very adverse consequences for individuals," Carpenter warned. "It's also going to have long term, adverse consequences for the city because there is going to be litigation." (NYNewsday, by Ray Sanchez, January 10, 2005)
The World Trade Center Residents' Respiratory Health Study: New Onset Respiratory Symptoms and Pulmonary Function: Research Article ... New-onset respiratory symptoms were described by 55.8% of residents in the "exposed area" compared to 20.1% in the "control area" after the event. "Persistent new-onset symptoms' were identified in 26.4% vs. 7.5% of residents in the "exposed area" vs. "control area" respectively. No differences in screening spirometry between the groups were detected. A small pilot study suggested the possibility of an increase in bronchial hyperresponsiveness in "exposed" participants with persistent symptoms. The data demonstrated an increased rate of new onset and persistent respiratory health effects in residents near the former WTC compared to a control population. ... (Environmental Health Perspectives, by Joan Reibman, Shao Lin, Syni-An A. Hwang, Mridu Gulati, James A. Bowers, Linda Rogers, Kenneth I. Berger, Anne Hoerning, Marta Gomez, and Edward F. Fitzgerald; Volume 113, Number 1, January 2005)
Opinion Letters: Taking the Lead ... In fact, EPA has already taken the lead in coordinating the efforts of our partners at the federal, state and city levels to ensure that the Deutsche Bank building is deconstructed in a manner that protects the health of people who live and work in the area. As part of that effort, we proposed a formal memorandum of understanding. For various reasons, our partners chose not to sign it. EPA can't compel other agencies to sign an agreement. Instead, we have focused our efforts on ensuring that each agency is kept well informed and coordinates with others. EPA has been on the very forefront of protecting the people who live and work near the Deutsche Bank building. Far from walking away, we have placed ourselves in the center and will continue our efforts until the building demolition is completed. (NYPost, by George Pavlou at EPA, January 4, 2005)
Little Noticed Building Is Coming Down ... Tucked behind the damaged, shrouded former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St., a smaller building also awaits demolition. While the planned deconstruction of the 40-story tower has undergone months of intensive public scrutiny, Deutsche Bank's other building, at 4 Albany St., sits boarded up, contaminated and barely noticed. ... Only eight-stories high, 4 Albany occupies most of the block bordered by Albany, Washington and tiny Carlisle Streets. Signs outside the building and just inside the small, guarded lobby warn, "Danger: Asbestos." Although the building is considered contaminated, it did undergo some cleaning after Sept. 11, according to spokeswoman at the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Last month, local elected and community officials met with Deutsche Bank and EPA representatives to discuss the methods and timing of the 4 Albany Street deconstruction. Those plans, an EPA spokeswoman said last month, include the sealing and removal of contaminated contents, the use of negative air pressure to contain dust, and community air monitoring.The public will get a chance to hear about, and comment on, those plans at a presentation by Deutsche Bank and the EPA to a CB1 committee on Jan. 10. ... (Tribeca Trib, by Etta Sanders, January 2005)

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2005 Archive