AsthmaMoms World Trade Center: Environmental Health Articles

JUNE

New Model to Assess World Trade Center Fallout ... The environmental and health consequences of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center have been the subject of controversy almost from the beginning. Scientists at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, have created a computerized model that will help public health officials understand the degree of harmful exposure in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. ... "The integration of model results and observations allows us to roughly estimate the amount of aerosol produced and conclude, for example, that the maximum concentration of contaminants in Brooklyn and Queens during a few days following the attack was about an order of magnitude less than in Manhattan," Stenchikov said. ... (Rutgers, June 29, 2006)
Downtown ‘granny’bids farewell ... “Meike came with her friend Norbert, stayed on and off for 10 years,” says Dreyfus. “She was on the roof with me on 9/11. She was three months pregnant and stayed on the roof taking pictures as the cloud of dust wafted over. I told her to get off, that the air was not good to breathe. But she was adamant that this needed to be documented.” Meike gave birth to a stillborn baby three months later. “It was like smoking 40 packs of cigarettes in one day,” Dreyfus says the doctors said. “No one is talking about the increase in autism in Chinatown or the 9/11 cough which is being listed as new onset asthma,” she said. “I have to be outspoken for the children.” ... (Downtown Express, June 23-29, 2006)
9/11 responders speak of pain ... David Miller coughed into a napkin, leaving behind a quarter-sized smear of blood. The hacking is a constant reminder of the 10 days the National Guardsman spent clearing debris at Ground Zero. Forty-eight hours after he arrived in the smoking aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack, Miller said yesterday, the health effects from airborne debris were obvious and severe. "I was practically blind, I was coughing, I had blisters all up and down my arms," he said. "If I'd been smart I wouldn't have gone back." Today, Miller's health is crumbling. The 39-year-old Bronx construction worker said he suffers chronic lung infections, skin rashes and a 60 percent drop in lung capacity. ... (NYNewsday, by Andrew Strickler, by June 26, 2006)
Emergency Workers Gauge 9/11 Health Toll..... Two days after arriving at ground zero to clear debris from the smoking ruins of the World Trade Center, David Miller could feel the physical effects. "I was practically blind, I was coughing, I had blisters all up and down my arms," the National Guardsman said Sunday at a discussion about lingering health problems among first responders. "If I'd been smart, I wouldn't have gone back." Nearly five years later, the 39-year-old suffers from hacking, bloody coughs, chronic lung infections, skin rashes and a 60 percent loss of lung capacity, he said. Miller was among several first responders to speak Sunday at the event organized by the nonprofit group New York 9/11 Truth, which claims that the government covered up intelligence failures leading to the attacks and accuses officials of exposing rescue workers to toxic conditions at ground zero. ... Last week, a U.S. federal court judge heard arguments over whether the city and its contractors should be granted immunity against lawsuits filed on behalf of thousands of emergency workers who got sick after working in the dust of the World Trade Center. The city has argued it has legal immunity against the claims. Les Jamieson, who organized Sunday's event at The Community Church of New York in Manhattan, said that, for some who felt they should have been financially compensated, the panel offered an opportunity to speak out. ... (AP/abc, June 26, 2006)
PBA Blasts Hosp's 9/11 Health Monitoring ... "We need to find out what cancers and serious disorders are out there so we know what to look for," said Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. "Millions of dollars are being spent, and we're getting no information." ... (NYPost, by Susan Edelman and Carl Campanile, June 25, 2006)
WTC First Responders Lawsuit To Continue Next Week ... More than 8,000 workers are represented in the suit, which alleges they worked in the rubble without proper gear, ultimately leading to various health ailments. The plaintiffs include police officers, firefighters and EMTs. "Yesterday I got another email from a woman in Montana whose sister died of leukemia,” said the plaintiffs’ attorney David Worby. “Yesterday I got a phone call from an electrician whose husband died of stomach cancer and three days earlier we got another call from a relative of someone who died from throat and tongue cancer. Those people were given zero protection." ... Meanwhile, state lawmakers plan to take up a bill to protect city workers who were exposed to toxic substances after September 11th. The legislation would make accidental death benefits available to members of the police, fire, sanitation, and correction departments, as well as EMT's sheriff deputies and state troopers, who worked at the Trade Center site, the Fresh Kills landfill, the city morgue, or on barges between Manhattan and Fresh Kills. ... (NY1, June 23, 2006)
9/11 Suit Tests New York Stand on Immunity ... A federal judge heard oral arguments yesterday on the city's motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought on behalf of more than 8,000 firefighters, police officers and construction workers who say they were harmed by exposure to toxic substances while working at ground zero. The city's lawyers have argued that the city cannot be sued because it has legal immunity under a state civil defense law.During the hearing, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of United States District Court in Manhattan focused on how long after Sept. 11 the legal immunity claimed by the city lasted and whether the $1 billion federal insurance fund that has been set aside to cover such claims against the city could be considered evidence that it could, in fact, be sued. The questions are crucial to determining whether the responders and other workers can seek damages from the city and 150 private contractors for ailments they say they suffered as a result of the work they did downtown in the nine months after the twin towers collapsed. ... (NYTimes, by Anthony DePalma, June 23, 2006)
A clinic for their 9/11 ills: LMDC pressed for $5M fund ... They're asking for $5 million in "seed money" to launch a pulmonary and environmental health clinic in lower Manhattan, local officials and residents said yesterday at a City Hall press conference. The clinic would diagnose and treat community residents and workers suffering from health problems that some medical experts blame on 9/11 and its environmental aftermath. "These are people who lived and breathed under the 9/11 plume," said City Councilman Alan Gerson (D-Lower Manhattan). He urged that clinic startup funds come from the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. (LMDC), the city-state agency overseeing planning of the World Trade Center site and memorial there. LMDC spokesman John Gallagher said, "I'm not familiar with the proposal, therefore I can't comment." ... (NYDaily News, by Frank Lombardi, June 21, 2006)
Hughes wins vice chair slot on C.B. 1 elections ... Catherine McVay Hughes, chairperson of the World Trade Center Committee, won the vice chairperson seat handily beating Anthony Notaro. Hughes, a Financial District resident, is trained as a civil engineer and worked for the New York Public Interest Research Group, doing advocacy work about lead poisoning in children. ... Menin has no intentions of removing her from her post on the World Trade Center Committee. “Catherine is so uniquely qualified, she is a true expert in environmental affairs,” said Menin. “I can’t think of any other board member who has her background.” ... (Downtown Express, by Ronda Kaysen, June 2006)
Residents’ 9/11 health funds running out, but survey continues ... Ann DeFalco’s 9-year-old son has asthma, which periodically keeps him home from school. Dolores Rode still takes medication for insomnia and, until recently, suffered from acid reflux. Lori Mogol’s husband has persistent upper respiratory problems and chronic allergies. Rode, DeFalco and Mogol all have two things in common: they live within blocks of the World Trade Center and none of these ailments afffected their lives prior to Sept. 11. “He’s got what most of the local residents have,” Mogol said of her husband, Richard Zimbler. The couple lives on Greenwich and Duane St., eight blocks north of the Trade Center site. “People here have much worse allergies. People have asthma who never had asthma before. Even people’s dogs are sick.” With newfound attention being paid to the health of 9/11 rescue workers since a New Jersey coroner attributed first responder James Zadroga’s death to Trade Center toxins, local residents wonder what health risks they face and if their persistent ailments were caused by exposure to the toxins that covered their neighborhood. “The needs of the residents have been ignored, particularly the youth,” said DeFalco, a Seaport resident. “It’s not just a disaster of 9/11, it’s the year that continued with the pocket fires, it’s the cleaning up and removal of debris, it’s the rebuilding construction. We wouldn’t have the rebuilding without 9/11. It continues.” “Residents had a double blow in many ways,” said Gerry Bogacz, co-chairperson of the World Trade Center Survivors’ Network, an organization of more than 700 Trade Center disaster survivors. “Not only did they have the trauma of being at home or in danger, but the trauma of being out of their houses and having to throw everything out and start over again. You can see the psychological and physical impact on residents" In the next couple of years, we don’t know what [health condition] is going to present itself.” ... “A lot of people have a hard time talking about it [health problems] right now,” said Catherine McVay Hughes, a registrant and chairperson of Community Board 1’s World Trade Center Committee. “That would be the worst thing that a mother could do — put their kid at risk — so some people might be in denial about it.” ... “Insurance companies are not paying for all the costs that are necessary. Sometimes we have to make other choices—choose another medication that is not as expensive, but not as effective,” said DeFalco. “The registry is not enough. We need a free clinic and it should include a pediatric unit.” Any available resources are rapidly disappearing, with many programs ending in the fiscal year 2007, say advocates. “We’re very concerned about after 2007, what is going to be out there?” said Bogacz. “If people don’t get what they need, they could get into more serious situations.” ... (Downtown Express, by Ronda Kaysen, June 16-22, 2006)
Protesters Urge Better Care for Those Exposed to 9/11 Dust ... More than 200 people — first responders, union members and politicians — rallied at ground zero yesterday to protest the government's response to the health effects of 9/11 and to demand comprehensive care for those possibly sickened by the World Trade Center wreckage. The two-hour rally was the latest effort by what has become an organized coalition dedicated to addressing the long-term impact of the disaster. It came as a growing body of evidence suggested that the noxious cocktail of dust and fumes at the World Trade Center site has caused lung problems, other illnesses and, in at least one case, death.....More than $100 million has been set aside for the screening and treatment of ground zero workers, but Representative Maloney and others said that money was not nearly enough to screen tens of thousands of workers for decades and to guarantee benefits and treatment. ... (NYTimes, by Damien Cave, June 18, 2006)
Ground Zero Workers Rally for Federal Aid ... Hundreds of ground zero workers and several lawmakers asked President Bush on Saturday to send more help to ailing rescue workers. .... (Boston, June 17, 2006)
Rescue Workers: Government Should Pay 9-11 Health Bill; Rescuers Want 'Solid Commitment' To Funding Health Care of 9-11 Workers ... The primary organizers of the event were the 2 million-member New York State AFL-CIO and Unsung Heroes Helping Heroes, an organization of rescueand recovery workers working on behalf of the rights of disaster-response workers. ... (WCBC, June 17, 2006)
CB 1 Questions WTC Health Follow Up ... The World Trade Center Health Registry, which has conducted interviews of tens of thousands of Lower Manhattan residents, workers and rescue personnel to monitor the lasting health effects of the Sept. 11 attacks, is set to begin follow-up surveys this month, the first of many follow-ups over the next 20 years. Members of Community Board 1’s World Trade Center Committee, who were recently presented with an update on some of the survey’s findings, wonder to what end. “It’s not serving any active function,” said committee member Marc Donnenfeld, who joined others on the committee in questioning the surveys’ usefulness to the survivors of the attack and the neighborhood residents potentially effected by the fallout. Committee chairwoman, Catherine McVay Hughes, said the community board’s primary concern is that “money is allocated for screening and treatment, and this survey does not do that.” ... Follow up questions to participants will be aimed to gauge the condition of residents’ homes and their cleaning after the attacks; mask use and their type and fit for rescue and recovery workers; and to glean information about evacuation timing from building survivors. Participants can expect questionnaires to be e-mailed, or mailed, to them this month. The registry’s purpose is to provide material and reports for medical experts and researchers to examine, but interviewers do not provide medical screening, assistance or referrals. “We’re not an examination program,” said Farfel. “The registry is a tool for policy implementation and change.” ... (Tribeca Trib, by Barry Owens, June 15, 2006)
Use of Air Masks at Issue In Claims of 9/11 Illnesses ... With mounting evidence that exposure to the toxic smoke and ash at ground zero during the nine-month cleanup has made many people sick, attention is now focusing on the role of air-filtering masks, or respirators, that cost less than $50 and could have shielded workers from some of the toxins. More than 150,000 such masks were distributed and only 40,000 people worked on the pile, but most workers either did not have the masks or did not use them. These respirators are now at the center of a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of more than 8,000 firefighters, police officers and private workers who say they were exposed to toxic substances at or near ground zero that have made them sick or may eventually do so. While residents and office workers in the area also suffered ill effects, the work crews at the site who had the greatest exposure are thought to have sustained the greatest harm. From legal documents presented in the case, a tale emerges of heroic but ineffective efforts to protect workers, with botched opportunities, confused policies and contradictions that failed to ensure their safety. Lawyers representing the workers say that there was no central distribution point for the respirators, no single organization responsible for giving them out, and no one with the power to make sure the respirators that were distributed got used, and used properly. By contrast, at the Pentagon, workers not wearing proper protective gear were escorted off the site. ''Employers are responsible for providing a safe workplace,'' said David Worby, the lawyer whose firm represents the workers. ''But the majority of workers at ground zero were given nothing, or had masks that didn't work.'' The allegations are based on the lawyers' review of more than 400,000 pages of official documents and the testimony of 30 government witnesses. The city, which is the principal government defendant, has moved to have the lawsuit dismissed. It argues that it and the private contractors it hired to help in the cleanup did their best to provide adequate equipment and to get workers to use it, but many workers ignored the warnings. Many workers cited reasons for not keeping the masks on, like the stifling heat and the difficulty of communicating while wearing them. Even if the response to an unprecedented emergency was flawed, the city's lawyers argue, a firmly established legal immunity under the State Defense Emergency Act and other laws protects New York from legal liability. ... .Oral argument on the city's motion to dismiss the case is scheduled for June 22 before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of United States District Court in Manhattan. ... Each firefighter is issued a full-face mask that is part of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, also known as a Scott pack, which functions like scuba gear, supplying air while sealing out hazards. But the tanks contain no more than 18 minutes of oxygen. The system works well if a firefighter is dashing into a burning building to rescue a baby. For a nine-month recovery operation, it was useless. Once their Scott packs were exhausted, the first firefighters on the scene had no backup gear. ... Records produced in the lawsuit indicate that the Fire Department put in an order with the city for 5,000 P100 Organic Vapor/Acid Gas half-face masks, which cost less than $50 each, and 10,000 replacement filter cartridges on Sept. 28. But the order was not processed for almost two months. ... Both sides in the suit cast an uneasy eye on the future. The city clearly worries that if there is another attack it will not be able to hire contractors and respond to the emergency without fear of becoming entangled in legal liabilities, which could hamper its ability to restore order and protect the city. ... (NYTimes, by Anthony DePalma, June 5, 2006)
City Out to cripple 9/11 claims say docs ... City lawyers are "fishing for information" at medical gatherings that could be used to undermine claims for 9/11-related health problems, doctors and union officials charged yesterday. Two attorneys from the Law Department attended a meeting last week that organizers said was intended for doctors and advocates to have a frank discussion about how to treat patients suffering from illnesses believed linked to Ground Zero toxins. "This was an outrage," said Micki Siegel De Hernandez, health and safety director of the Communications Workers of America. "We never would have participated in the meeting if we knew that the city Law Department was there fishing for information they could use against future claims." But Law Department officials said there was no conflict of interest. "It would be almost remiss of us not to stay on top of issues that affect our office," said agency spokeswoman Kate O'Brien Ahlers. ... In some, he said, there appears to be "a period of latency" before symptoms develop. In others, symptoms have worsened over time, becoming bad enough to drive the person to seek help for the first time. "There's a chronic, progressive element to this," he said. Herbert said she is also concerned about a small number of cases of lung scarring similar to that which killed Det. James Zadroga, 34, of Little Egg Harbor, N.J., in January. The coroner there found swirls in Zadroga's lungs caused by foreign material, which he linked to Ground Zero dust -- the first death to be officially tied to World Trade Center exposure. "We're concerned because now we have a very small number of World Trade Center responders with much more serious lung scarring diseases," Herbert said. ... Prezant coauthored a study published last month that showed the average lung function decline among fire fighters who were at Ground Zero one year after Sept. 11 was the equivalent of 12 years of aging. World Trade Center workers are exchanging stories of cancers in colleagues -- especially of the blood, kidneys and pancreas -- they believe are the result of ingesting pulverized cement, glass fibers and other toxic substances at Ground Zero. ... "We have a rough estimate of 200 to 300 people who are between the ages of 30 and 50 [with cancer]," said Jon Sferazo, 51, of Huntington Station, presiding officer of Unsung Heroes Helping Heroes, an advocacy group for Sept. 11 responders. "These cancers seem to be occurring in people far too young," he said. Doctors are unwilling to link the cancer cases and exposure to Ground Zero toxins because it generally takes years for cancers to develop -- but they are tracking them closely. "We don't know if these are just normal, sporadic cases or if a pattern is developing. The methodology [in monitoring patients] has to be vigilant," Luft said. ... (Daily News, by Paul H.B. Shin, June 2, 2006)
WTC Responders' Illness Worse than Expected: Almost Five Years after Terror Attacks, New Critical Health Cases Are Surfacing ... Doctors who treat World Trade Center responders say they are surprised almost five years later by the growing number seeking help for the first time -- 100 people a month in the biggest monitoring program -- and by the severity of illnesses among Sept. 11 workers already in treatment. "There's no question there's continuing demand and many in the treatment program are quite ill," said Dr. Robin Herbert, codirector of the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan. Herbert, whose program has examined about 15,000 responders since 2002, said doctors are finding "remarkable persistence" in breathing disorders such as chronic sinusitis and asthma, stomach ailments such as gastrointestinal reflux disease and psychological problems such as post traumatic stress disorder -- a suite of maladies one survivor called "my 9/11 plague." Some patients also have come in with severe lung scarring, which can be fatal. And there have been cases of cancer, which worries experts, though they are unwilling to directly attribute them to exposure to Ground Zero toxins. Doctors are also surprised by the numbers of new patients. Mount Sinai's screening program sees 100 new people a month, Herbert said. Despite adding more health care providers, Herbert said that for the last six months, the waiting list for treatment has grown to more than three months. "We honestly did not expect such ongoing demand," she said. ... (Newsday, by Ridgely, June 1, 2006)
Sick and Tired of Fighting for Workers' Comp ... He now has multiple respiratory problems, gastrointestinal reflux disease and posttraumatic stress disorder so bad he has twice attempted suicide. ...(Newdsday, by Ridgely Ochs, June 1, 2006)
9/11 Health Registry Watns to Re-Interview Participants ... Holding true to its promise to keep tabs on those exposed to affects of the World Trade Center attacks for 20 years, the Department of Health is asking anyone enrolled in its WTC Health Registry to be surveyed a second time. “We wish we had all of the answers. We wish we knew what the long-term effects of 9/11 are on the health and mental health of those exposed. But we don't,” said DOH Commissioner Thomas Frieden. The DOH announced plans Thursday to re-survey the 71,000 people who signed up for their unprecedented registry, because they either lived, worked, or helped out at the World Trade Center site on 9/11 or in the days or months after. Surveys will be mailed or emailed to participants, two-thirds of whom are from the city. “We know that those exposed to dust and fumes of 9/11 report a high rate of respiratory and mental health symptoms. What we don't know is how long those symptoms are going to persist,” said Frieden. ... The DOH says it's not re-interviewing its registrants to ignite fear, but rather to get a better hold on what it’s dealing with. “It is a platform for further policy making, including all sorts of programs, including monitoring and treatment,” says 9/11 Health Coordinator Dr. John Howard. The DOH expects it will take several months to reach each of the more than 70,000 registrants, and then several months after that to fully examine the results of their surveys. That means it's likely to be years before the full effects of 9/11 will be known. (NY1, by Amanda Farinacci, June 1, 2006)

MAY

Lawmakers Push For Bill To Provide 9/11 Workers With Compensation ... State lawmakers are being urged to pass legislation to provide workers compensation benefits for those who helped in World Trade Center site cleanup efforts. Assemblyman Jonathan Bing, who is spearheading the bill, was joined by several other elected officials at a City Hall news conference Wednesday. Bing says although workers and volunteers were exposed to chemical hazards at site, more than one in four workers’ compensations claims are denied. “Because of the need of these 9/11 workers having their claims denied at twice the rate of non-9/11 workers, we really sought of need to have a level playing field created to allow these individuals to have their claims met and satisfied by the workers’ compensation forms," said the assemblyman. "Our goal is simple: Everyone who was exposed to the toxins at Ground Zero should be monitored, and everyone who is sick should be treated," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney. ... (NY1, May 31, 2006)
Preparing for a Higher 9-11 Toll ... The 9-11 Victims Compensation Fund made awards to 1,400 FDNY employees. But almost twice that number have filed affidavits of their 9-11 service in case they develop or die from an illness stemming from their time at the site ... (Village Voice, by Jarrett Murphy, May 30, 2006)
A Sign of renewal and a Reminder at Ground Zero ... Fiterman Hall didn't exactly overshadow the official opening of 7 World Trade Center today (the sun was in the wrong position for that) but the ragged remnant of 9/11 offered a silent reminder of how much more work there is to do. ... The ragged remnant of Fiterman Hall, pictured in the background, played silent counterpoint to an exuberant Jeff Koons sculpture that was unveiled today. ... With its shattered walls and missing windows, its emptied floors behind shroudlike nets, the 15-story Fiterman Hall played silent counterpoint — like the unwanted party guest that everyone notices but no one acknowledges — to the candied-apple exuberance of a plump Jeff Koons sculpture that was unveiled by Larry A. Silverstein, the developer of 7 World Trade Center, outside the building's front door on Greenwich Street. ... Fiterman Hall, across Barclay Street, can wipe that smile off quickly. This 1950's office building had been transformed into a classroom hall for the Borough of Manhattan Community College. Nearing the end of a six-year renovation, it was badly damaged on Sept. 11, 2001, by the collapse of the original 7 World Trade Center. It is to be decontaminated, demolished and replaced by a new Fiterman Hall.But the federal Environmental Protection Agency has posed dozens of questions about a draft deconstruction plan that was submitted in January. The state Dormitory Authority, which is overseeing the project with the City University of New York, expects to submit an amended and expanded plan to the regulators in July. On the fastest conceivable track, decontamination might begin in October and run through next February, with a four-. to six-month demolition to follow, suggesting that Mr. Koons's mirror-polished sculpture will be reflecting Fiterman's ghostly presence for quite some time to come. .... (NYTimes, by David W. Dunlap, May 23, 2006)
Over Budget, Fulton Street Transit Hub Faces a Redesign ... Mr. Nagaraja blamed rising real estate values that have forced the authority to pay more for private property at the site. Construction costs have also increased because of more stringent standards for asbestos removal adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency, transit officials said. ... He said a priority would be put on fulfilling commitments that were part of an environmental impact statement on the project, which took two years to complete. ... (NYTimes, by Thomas J. Lueck, May 23, 2006)
9/11 Compensation claims Continue to Trickle in Late ... About 290 New York City employees have filed workers' compensation claims stemming from the World Trade Center attack since the two-year deadline for filing such claims passed, city officials said yesterday. City employees filed about 900 claims within the two years after the 9/11 attack, and nearly all, 96.5 percent, were found to be valid and eligible for compensation, the officials said. In two-thirds of those cases, however, no compensation was ever paid, because the workers did not ultimately lose wages or incur major medical costs, they said. ... (NYTimes, by Sewell Chan, May 23, 2006)
City Workers' 9/11 Claims Meet Obstacles ... Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's decision to intervene in the case of a former deputy mayor who believes that he became severely ill from working around ground zero after the Sept. 11 attack has cast unwanted attention on the city's handling of 9/11 workers' compensation cases. Scores of such cases — the city could not say precisely how many — continue to drag on nearly five years after the attack. ... Although the system was set up to eliminate the need for litigation, compensation cases can be as protracted and adversarial as lawsuits. Of the 313,102 claims resolved in New York State in 2004, 55 percent involved a hearing at which evidence was provided, and the rest were resolved informally. Most private employers rely on insurance companies to identify and challenge claims that might be fraudulent, but some of the largest employers, like the City of New York, are self-insured and decide on their own when to challenge claims. Industry experts have estimated that 10 to 20 percent of workers' compensation claims may be baseless. ... "I don't think the system is well designed for diseases that have long latency periods," he said. As of last week, compensation claims had been filed by or on behalf of 1,436 employees of the City of New York and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority citing deaths, injuries or illnesses caused by 9/11, according to the State Workers' Compensation Board. That figure does not include claims by police officers, firefighters and sanitation workers, who are covered under separate workplace-injury programs. (NYTimes, by Sewell Chan, May 22, 2006)
NY City Council and 3 Community Boards Reject EPA’s Lower Manhattan Testing Plan ... (NYCOSH, May 22, 2006)
Residents and Workers Picket Lower Manhattan Development Corporation May 8 to Protest Unsafe 130 Liberty Demolition Plans and Co ... (NYCOSH, May 22, 2006)
‘Ms. Whitman, was New York Betrayed by the EPA after 9/11?’ ‘No Comment, Next Question.’ ... (NYCOSH, May 22, 2006)
Silverstein Says Insureres Might Not Pay $4.6 Billion ... And Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal criticized the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's handling of the Deutsche Bank building. The recurring theme from the assembly members was their frustration over the lack of public accountability and the absence of visible progress, in spite of one ceremony after another. ... (NYTimes, by Charles V. Bagli, May 19, 2006)
Worker Lobbying Pays Off: Protective Windows Due for 90 Church ... Calling themselves the "little coalition that could," a group of labor activists representing city, state and Federal employees May 9 celebrated their success in wresting a promise from the Housing Authority to install double-paned windows on all floors of the building at 90 Church St. in lower Manhattan. 'KNEW WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING': Lainie Kitt (second from left), a veteran Housing Authority employee, said she became active in the successful push to get double-paned windows installed at 90 Church St. because, in addition to current concern about air quality next to the old World Trade Center site, 'for the next 10 years or so [the site is] going to be one of the biggest construction projects in the world.' ...The coalition members noted that they and hundreds of municipal workers were urged to return to the area after 9/11 by city and state officials desperate to revitalize Lower Manhattan's moribund economy. In keeping with their tradition of public service, they said, the workers had wanted to do what they could to help, but sometimes paid with their health. Paul Stein, Health & Safety Committee chairperson of PEF Division 199, noted that the building's owners had also previously agreed to increase air quality checks at 90 Church St. from semi-annually to quarterly and installed a top-notch air filtering system. "But we really needed to have all three - those other things, and the doublepaned windows. 90 Church St. isn't just dealing with Ground Zero and all its construction," he said. "The building is also adjacent to several others that were contaminated on 9/11 and are going to be pulled down; we have Postal trucks driving up to the bays on one side and dropping off and picking up mail; and we've got all the diesel fumes from the trucks, not to mention the commuter and tourist buses that sit idling on the corner. It's surrounded on every side." ... (The Chief Leader, by Ginger Adams Otis, May 19, 2006)
Public Lives: The Lung Specialist Who Answered the 9/11 Call ... His task is minimizing the damage to some 14,000 sets of lungs, including his. Breathing easy is not nearly so easy for his firefighter patients, or for him, as it used to be and has cost some their careers. "This is not a research study; this is about people's lives and about telling them that with early diagnosis and aggressive treatment, there's hope," says Dr. Prezant, 50 ... Dr. Prezant, a chief medical officer for the Fire Department (data-driven public health initiatives combating asthma diabetes and other chronic emergency complaints are his next responsibility) and co-director of the department's World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program, has been tracing and treating the impact of the rescue and recovery work on firefighters' lungs since October 2001. ... (NYTimes, by Robin Finn, May 19, 2006)
Ex- Guiliani Aides Criticize City Handling of 9/11 Claim ... Several associates of former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani took the rare step of publicly criticizing the Bloomberg administration yesterday as they reacted with anger and confusion to the city's handling of a workers' compensation claim filed by a former deputy mayor who served Mr. Giuliani for eight years. New details emerged yesterday about the claim filed by the former deputy mayor, Rudy Washington, 51, who has asserted that he has severe respiratory ailments, requiring prescription drugs and emergency hospitalizations, as a result of his work near ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001, and afterward. On March 14, a state administrative law judge ruled that Mr. Washington was entitled to health-care benefits because he had been injured on the job. On April 10, lawyers for the city appealed, arguing that Mr. Washington was not entitled to the benefits because he did not file his claim within two years of the injury. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said yesterday that he believed the appeal was based on "a technicality" and that the lawyers had erred. "A lawyer was probably reading the law too closely and shouldn't have done that," he said. .... (NYTimes, by Sewell Chan, May 19, 2006)
Deutsche demo demonstration: Protestors gathered at 1 Liberty Place on Monday to demonstrate [against] the Deutsche Bank demolition. The 40-story tower at 130 Liberty St. was badly damaged and contaminated with World Trade Center debris on 9/11. It is being cleaned and demolished by the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. to make way for the new World Trade Center. The deconstruction has come under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks. Workers recently stopped a painstaking search for human remains on the building’s roof after asbestos was found in areas previously deemed clean. The Environmental Protection Agency, which approved the cleanup and demolition plan, has not signed off on the floor-by-floor demolition phase of the building, which is expected to begin next month, because of changes to the plan. ... (Downtown Express, May 12 - 18, 2006)
Nadler: Rudy Washington Deserves Compensation – and so do Thousands of Other Ground Zero Workers and Residents (News Release, May 18, 2006)
Rudy's Deputy: I Have 9/11 Illness ... A deputy mayor in the Giuliani administration who directed officials to test the air after the 9/11 attacks has filed a medical claim for respiratory illnesses suspected to have been caused by the pollution at Ground Zero, The Post has learned. Rudy Washington, who was caught in the plume of dust and debris after the first of the Twin Towers fell and who worked tirelessly downtown for weeks, is the highest-ranking official known to have fallen ill from a suspected WTC-related ailment. Washington's claim for his rising medical expenses, filed about a year ago, was approved recently after a state Worker's Compensation Board hearing, the sources said. The Bloomberg administration has told Washington it plans to appeal the approval. Several sources said Mayor Bloomberg, whom Washington - the highest-ranking black in Giuliani's administration - backed early in his 2001 campaign for City Hall and again last year, is personally aware of the case. ... The sources said Washington got sick almost immediately after the attack, and was hospitalized with a mysterious illness. He was later diagnosed with asthma, a condition that he never suffered prior to 9/11, the sources said. He is now on several medications, and has been in and out of doctors' offices and emergency rooms in the past five years. The former deputy mayor joined a screening program at Mount Sinai Hospital that treats rescue workers and others exposed to the fetid air. ... (NYPost, by Maggie Haberman, May 17, 2006)
Bank cleanup back on ... Work is set to resume at the Deutsche Bank tower at Ground Zero today with regulators increasing their oversight of the toxic cleanup. The 40-story tower was ruined during the Sept. 11 attack and is set for demolition next month. Workers already had begun cleaning out toxic dust generated by the collapsing towers. That work was suspended Friday after the Environmental Protection Agency complained that contaminated debris was repeatedly being carted off site. After meeting with the EPA and other agencies yesterday, the state Lower Manhattan Development Corp. agreed that no more material will be brought off site until a full inspection is complete. The state agency also asked regulators "to increase their oversight of abatement work in order to ensure that our contractors are fully in compliance with the approved deconstruction plan," said the LMDC's John Gallagher. EPA spokeswoman Mary Mears said no date has been set for the inspection. Meanwhile, the search for human remains inside the tower remains on hold after the discovery of asbestos on the roof. (NYDaily News, by Greg B. Smith, NYDaily News)
Letter: The Dust of 9/11 ... If the effects of inhaling World Trade Center dust are debilitating but treatable for firefighters, as a recent health study suggests ("Firefighters' Lung Capacity Suffered After 9/11 Work," news article, May 16), New York's public health authorities ought to do two things. First, they should offer screening and treatment to neighborhood residents who suffered significant exposure. Second, they should prevent the next wave of exposures as buildings like Deutsche Bank, containing large quantities of dust, are taken down. That process is now entrusted to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, an agency with no relevant expertise. Better supervision could avert another wave of 9/11 casualties. (NYTimes, by March Scherzer, May 16, 2006)
Firefighters' Lung Capacity Suffered After 9/11 Work ... A new health study shows that the city's firefighters suffered a significant decline in their lung capacity after working at ground zero, but doctors say that in many cases, with proper treatment, the loss may be temporary. The study compared breathing tests done before and after the towers fell and found that firefighters had a loss in lung capacity in the first year after Sept. 11 equal to what they might have lost over a dozen years of normal duty. It was published late last month in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The average loss of 372 milliliters represents about 6 percent of a firefighter's six-liter lung capacity. But it is more than 10 times the normal age-related annual loss. For many firefighters, this diminished breathing ability is not considered a disease but an impairment, like a broken arm, that hampers activity but can eventually return to normal. Unlike ailments and diseases that seem to be related to ground zero exposure but are difficult to prove, the reduction in lung capacity, shown by the before-and-after tests, can be firmly traced to the recovery work. Dr. David J. Prezant, co-director of the Fire Department's World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program, and an author of the study, said that with proper treatment and monitoring, many firefighters are likely to recover their normal breathing ability as their lungs cleanse themselves naturally. But Stephen J. Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, said that most firefighters knew almost immediately that working at ground zero had hurt their health and that many are not optimistic that things will return to normal. .... To suppress the inflammation caused by the inhaled dust, firefighters in the department's treatment program have been given nasal and pulmonary steroids and decongestants. Dr. Prezant said that in time, the dust particles may be exhaled or dissolved. "Anecdotally, I can say that people in the treatment program, especially those who have had early diagnosis and treatment, feel that their lung function is plateauing or improving," he said. "We have not seen further decreases." But he conceded that some might deteriorate further and eventually reach the point where they can no longer work. Apart from the lung function study, doctors are beginning to see an increased incidence of chronic lung scarring and long-term respiratory ailments among responders. Several studies are now under way to determine whether the increased rates of disease are related to the trade center dust. The results of the study of 12,079 firefighters, which were reported in The New York Post yesterday, also suggest that construction workers and volunteers who helped in the rescue and recovery operation may have suffered similar respiratory losses if they were at ground zero in the first week after the towers fell. ... Although firefighters were able to cough out some of the dust, much remained lodged in their lungs, where it can be surrounded by mucous or enzymes that try to break it down. In that process, airways can become increasingly constricted, reducing the capacity of the lungs to hold air. (NYTimes, by Anthony DePalma, May 16, 2006)
Don't bank on anything ... The closer the state gets to actually knocking down the ruins of the former Deutsche Bank building at Ground Zero, the more the tricky job seems hexed. New questions have arisen about unsafe work conditions and an inadequate cleanup of toxic dust, while the search for human remains has been suspended after asbestos was found on the roof. The problems with the Deutsche tower at 130 Liberty St. continue to fester and grow as fund-raising for the WTC memorial has been put on hold and John Whitehead, chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., the state agency that oversees the World Trade Center site, resigned last week. On Friday, federal and state regulators asked the LMDC to stop work completely at 130 Liberty St. after observing contaminated debris being brought off site. The LMDC has asked the regulators to "clarify" their definition of contamination and will meet tomorrow to discuss the matter. The LMDC insists the cleanup and demolition work is on schedule, with the 40-story building that was ripped open during the 9/11 terrorist attacks set to begin coming down in June. ... Haberman said a giant coin vault in the building's sub-basement was "ready for demolition." The vault must be removed so a concrete pad can be poured to support a large crane necessary for deconstruction. What Haberman forgot to mention was that the city Department of Buildings two weeks earlier had disapproved of the LMDC's plan to demolish the vault. The city also disapproved of a plan to back-fill the area. As of Friday neither plan had been approved. Also, last week federal environmental officials voiced concern about the coin vault project, specifically worried that clouds of dust might escape into the neighborhood during the work. Haberman also failed to mention that two subcontractors at 130 Liberty were recently hit with thousands of dollars of fines by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In March, a worker for John Galt Co., who was wearing a safety harness he hadn't hooked up, fell 39 feet off a sidewalk shed into the sub-basement. He was hospitalized with broken bones. Last week, OSHA fined John Galt $9,000 for safety violations, including inadequate fall protection, according to Richard Mendelson of OSHA. After that incident, the city Buildings Department hit the LMDC with a violation for failing to promptly notify that agency of the fall. In addition, last December another worker fell off scaffolding that didn't have inner guardrails. OSHA fined Safeway Environmental $1,250; the company appealed the fine. In recent weeks, OSHA joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in questioning the safety of the LMDC's plan to drop crushed concrete 40 stories down a 500-foot chute to street level. "We have raised [safety] concerns," Mendelson said. "Workers have to remove that debris from under that chute so it doesn't get clogged up." ... (NYDaily News, by Greg B. Smith, May 14, 2006)
Tracing Lung Ailments That Rose With 9/11 Dust ... As they push their investigation into the health risks to workers in the recovery and cleanup operations at ground zero, medical detectives are focusing on a group of lung diseases that can lead to long-term disabilities and, in some cases, death. After nearly five years, it is still too early for these doctors, scientists and forensic pathologists to say with certainty whether any long-term cancer threat came with exposure to the toxic cloud unleashed by the trade center collapse. But there are already clear signs that the dust, smoke and ash that responders breathed in have led to an increase in diseases that scar the lungs and reduce their capacity to take in and let out air. ... (New York Times, by Anthony DePalma, May 13, 2006)
Towering Controversy: Continuing Debate Points out Difficulty of Removing a Skyscraper Surrounded by Human Habitation ... At its most recent monthly meeting, Community Board 1 passed an emergency resolution adding yet another voice to those opposing the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation’s demolition plans for 130 Liberty Street, the former Deutsche Bank building irreparably damaged and contaminated on Sept. 11, 2001. At issue are the qualifications of the John Galt Corporation and the safety record of Safeway Environmental Corporation, two companies hired to raze the blighted building, as well as certain changes in plans not authorized by the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, residents and environmental activists attending the meeting expressed alarm over what they said is insufficient emergency planning. Concerns over the hiring of the Galt Corp. center around the company’s alleged lack of experience with asbestos-tainted sites. According to several who came to CB1’s public session to air complaints, the Galt Corp. has only recently obtained the asbestos removal license required by the state Department of Labor and the city’s Department of Environmental Protection. ... (Battery Park City Broadsheet, By Serena Hedison, April 28 - May 13, 2006)
Razing of Downtown Tower Should Pause, Regulators Say ... Federal and state regulators asked the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation yesterday to stop work on the former Deutsche Bank building opposite ground zero. An inspector from the Environmental Protection Agency witnessed the removal yesterday of debris from the building that had not been properly cleaned, said Mary Mears, a spokeswoman for the agency. "This was certainly not the first time," she said. "Now that it appears to be a pattern, we feel compelled to ask them to stop work until we can fix the problem in general." Deconstruction of the 41-story former bank tower at 130 Liberty Street is not set to begin until next month. The current work involves abatement of asbestos and other hazardous substances. Besides the federal agency, the state's Department of Labor and the city's Department of Environmental Protection are monitoring the project. ... Yesterday's debris largely involved floor tiles from around the 35th floor. Work had already stopped for the day by the time the regulators made their recommendation. Cleaning work is performed within sealed areas before the debris is taken downstairs. Ms. Mears said there were at least three prior occasions when inspectors required that debris bins be returned for further cleaning. Last month, the rooftop cleanup was halted after a fragment of asbestos-containing material was found in the ballast. Hundreds of small fragments of human remains have also been found on the rooftop. (NYTimes, by David Dunlap, May 13, 2006)
EPA Wants To Halt Cleanup of Deutsche Bank Building .... Federal and state regulators want to stop cleanup work at the former Deutsche Bank Building next to the World Trade Center site. The Environmental Protection Agency says an inspector discovered debris was being removed before it was properly cleaned. EPA officials have asked the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to stop the work. The LMDC has asked to meet with the regulators on Monday to try to fix the problem. ....(NY1, May 13, 2006)
Bill Introduced For 9/11 Death Benefit Payment ... The State Legislature has introduced a bill amending a state pension law to give line-of-duty death benefits to public employees who die from 9/11-related illnesses. ... (The Chief Leader, by Ginger Adams Otis, May 12, 2006)
9/11 First Responder Dies: Paramedic Deborah Reeve Succumbs to Asbestos Disease as Ground Zero Casualty List Continues to Grow ... (Public Employee Press, by Alfredo Alvarado, May 2006)
Tribecans try to block project on environmental grounds.... Local residents and elected officials asked the city to halt the demolition of a stand of North Tribeca buildings, fearing they might be contaminated with World Trade Center dust. The six squat, one- and two-story buildings at Watts and Washington Sts. are being demolished to make way for a new residential tower, which has born the brunt of virulent criticism from local residents who say that the new development will be too large for the neighborhood. The Jack Parker Corp., which owns the property, finished testing the building for asbestos and has applied for asbestos removal permits from the City Dept. of Environmental Protection. But on May 4, elected leaders led by U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler sent letters to D.E.P. and the City Dept. of Buildings, urging the agencies to oversee the demolition and not to issue demolition permits until the site can be deemed safe from W.T.C.-related contamination. . “We want to address the possibility that there may be contaminants from the World Trade Center,” said Andrew Neale, a member of the Tribeca Community Association and Community Board 1. “The community is asking the Parker Corp. to do things properly.” The site, which is bounded by Watts, Washington, Desbrosses and West Sts., is one mile north of the World Trade Center site. Critics fear that toxic Trade Center dust might have impacted the building and the demolition should be monitored by regulatory agencies. ... Nadler’s office was outraged that E.P.A. declined to get involved in the Parker site. “They are forced to deal with those sites [Deutsche Bank and Fiterman Hall,] but they don’t want to deal with anything further away, despite the fact that they are going to start a sampling plan” to test and clean Lower Manhattan residences for any remaining Trade Center dust, Arturo Garcia-Costas, an aide to Nadler, said. ... (Downtown Express, by Ronda Kaysen, May 12 - 18, 2006)
Res No. 187-A ... Resolution calling upon the United States Environmental Protection Agency to abandon its technically and scientifically flawed 2005 Test and Clean Program, and work with the residents and workers, community and labor organizations and elected officials to design and implement an effective, science-based sampling and cleanup program for residences and workplaces in all affected areas. ... By Council Members Gerson, Barron, Brewer, Fidler, Gennaro, James, Recchia Jr., Sanders Jr. and Liu (passed May 10, 2006)
'A completely unacceptable situation' ... Protesters shouted, "What do we want? Cleanup! When do we want it? Now!" in front of the headquarters of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Monday. ... "It is beyond comprehension and an absolute failure of the public authorities charged with taking it down that so little progress has been made since September 11th. And whatever progress has been made is marred by unnecessary secrecy, bad judgment, and incomplete disclosure of crucial information to the public and to regulatory agencies. Unfortunately, demolition of this building has been and continues to be plagued with poor planning, questionable contracting practices, dangerous work conditions, and apparently shoddy performance by the prime contractor and its subs." Nadler and others have heavily criticized LMDC's demolition plan and choice of demolition contractors since the company bought the building in August of 2004. The groups argue that LMDC has not taken into account public comments on the demolition and is trying to alter demolition plans without approval from the correct agencies. ... Yesterday, Joel Kupferman, a environmental lawyer representing a group of residents, delivered an “intent to sue letter” to the LMDC, the Empire State Development Corporation and the Port Authority for their “handling, storage, transportation and disposal of the solid wastes in the abatement and deconstruction of 130 Liberty Street, which may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to health or the environment.” ... (Disaster News Network, by Heather Moyer, May 9, 2006)
The Air down There: Deutsche Bank Demolition Sparks Fears about the Quality of Subway Air ... LOWER MANHATTAN Environmental lawyer Joel Kupferman pointed up at the Deutsche Bank building, but what troubled him last week ran underground. The 1 train rolls through the World Trade Center site, Kupferman noted, and 20 feet behind the heavily contaminated office tower are two ventilation plants with industrial-strength fans meant to push air into the tunnel in case of a fire or other emergency. On the street, open grating offered a straight shot into the 1 and nearby R and W lines. “The takedown of this building poses imminent and substantial danger,” said Kupferman, who’s worried that no steps are being taken to protect subway riders. In the aftermath of 9/11, federal, state and city agencies monitored the air outdoors for harmful chemicals, but no mention was ever made about the air in the subway. The Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center continues to test air outside but not air in the subway. Annual asbestos tests are performed in “randomly selected high-density stations,” said NYC Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges, but no measurements were available for Downtown. The last test occurred in July 2005. ... (Metro New York, by Patrick Arden, May 9, 2006)
‘Toxic Tower’ Fears: Downtown Residents, Workers Say Contractor Unfit for Deutsche Bank Project ... “We know the deal all too well: That building has the same dust that gave us asthma and nosebleeds after the [Twin Towers] fell,” said Mary Perillo, a resident of 125 Cedar St., which is across from the shrouded building. “We don’t want to go through that again.” ... “The LMDC is supposed to be a watchdog agency, but who is watching them?” Perillo asked. “They talk a good game, but it’s all PR. You really need the EPA to oversee this.” Residents want the LMDC to provide an emergency plan for the community and re-establish the public process for addressing their concerns. So far, the project has been plagued with problems.... (Metro New York, by Amy Zimmer, May 9, 2006)
9/11 vols turn victims ... The Rev. Stephen Petrovich spent 11 days at the Ground Zero's makeshift morgue administering last rites to people and parts of people. Now he is ill and fears, because of the toxic dust he inhaled and swallowed while doing his duty, it may not be too long before someone must read those rites to him. "I don't know what's going to happen, I really don't know," he said, speaking from his home in Huron, Ohio, where he lives on a meager monthly disability payment after he became too ill to keep working. Petrovich said the effects from breathing problems and the precancerous tumor removed with part of his tongue have left him exhausted, depressed and often unable to go out. He needs more than $1,000 worth of medications a month, earns about $900 from Social Security disability and can't afford a car to go to doctor appointments. "Sometimes I can't go out for days," he said. "I cough all the time - it's like a chronic, deep bronchitis." ... For sick New Yorkers, there are places to turn for help. But for volunteers from far and wide, there is very little and few doctors are even equipped to recognize the symptoms from those who sacrificed their health in the debris of the World Trade Center. ... One of those deeply frustrated is Joe Picurro, a 39-year-old iron worker from Toms River, N.J., who said he volunteered for 28 days at Ground Zero, removing twisted metal to get at human remains. When he started having fits of vomiting and severe chest congestion during the summer of 2004, doctors thought he had a bad case of the flu. It took numerous visits to different doctors before he finally learned about the scarring and particles in his lungs. ...(New York Daily News, by Michael McAuliff, May 7, 2006)
Lawyers 'Clean Up' on WTC Insurer ... The insurance company created with federal funds to cover the city and its contractors for claims from the World Trade Center cleanup has spent $30 million on overhead - including more than $20 million on lawyers, The Post has learned. Records show the WTC Captive Insurance Co., a nonprofit that manages $1 billion approved by Congress, has not paid any claims by 9/11 recovery workers. Both the insurance company and the city declined to discuss how many lawyers were hired, at what hourly rate, and what work they have billed for the $20 million in fees. Kekst and Company, a public-relations firm hired by the insurance company, called the litigation to fight more than 5,300 illness and injury claims filed by 9/11 workers "costly and time-consuming." ... Sources said the lawyers have helped write a motion to dismiss all recovery-worker claims on the grounds the city was responding to a civil emergency. Lawyers in such cases typically earn $350 to $850 per hour, the sources said. ... (NYPost, by Susan Edelman, May 7, 2006)
Two Big Demolitions Raise Air Concerns ... In a neighborhood once coated with dust and toxins from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, any threat—real or imagined—of more dust-tainted air is enough to raise alarm. So red flags went up last month at two locations near Ground Zero, 130 Liberty Street and 189 Broadway, where the pending demolition of buildings has environmental regulators and neighbors nervous. ... Demolition plans for the shrouded former Deutsche Bank building on Liberty Street, which was severely damaged by the collapse of the trade center towers, raised concerns among government regulators last month, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency requested more details about how contractors plan to dismantle the structure and crush and cart off demolition debris. Workers have begun cleaning the interior and they are scheduled to begin dismantling the building in June. ... The apparent confusion between the agencies prompted Community Board 1 to draft and adopt an “emergency” resolution during its public meeting last month. The community board called on the EPA to take a more active role overseeing the building’s demolition and requested that the LMDC revise its plan in accordance with the environmental agency’s recommendations. “There has to be more oversight and accountability on the part of the LMDC,” Julie Menin, chairwoman of CB1, told the Trib. “They don’t have experience in environmental matters.” A block away, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last month halted demolition work at 189 Broadway, which was emptied of tenants in December to make way for the Fulton Street Transit Center, until the EPA could appraise the plan. A CB1 member who lives in the area alerted regulators about the demolition work, which was begun without an environmental review. “We shouldn’t have to rely on a neighborhood watch system,” Congressman Jerrold Nadler said in a statement. ... The Tribeca Trib, by Barry Owens, May 3, 2006)
Deutsche Bank Cleanup Halted ... The rooftop cleanup at the former Deutsche Bank building opposite ground zero has been suspended by the federal Environmental Protection Agency until regulators meet with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which is overseeing demolition of the heavily contaminated tower. On March 31 and April 19, inspectors found ''visible debris and residual fines commingled with the roof ballast'' in areas that were supposedly clean, said Pat Evangelista, the agency's World Trade Center coordinator, in an April 27 letter to the corporation. (Fines are tiny particles.) The corporation said it voluntarily stopped the cleanup on April 20 after a ''fragment of asbestos-containing material'' was discovered in the ballast during the search for human remains from 9/11. The corporation's spokesman, John P. Gallagher, said that the finding should not pose a health risk to workers. (New York Times, by David W. Dunlap, May 2, 2006 )
S.I. Beep: 9/11 Ills May Have Killed My Son ... Stephen Molinaro had his blood tested for 9/11-related illnesses just before he died suddenly last week, his father revealed yesterday at his funeral. "I was the only one who knew - his family never knew," Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro said while delivering an emotional eulogy at his 40-year-old son's funeral at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. Molinaro said his son, who was found dead in his kitchen early Saturday morning, had done some construction work near Ground Zero after the World Trade Center attacks. It's unclear whether he had been sick and results of an autopsy are pending. (New York Post, by Stephanie Gaskell, May 2, 2006)

APRIL

A grave oversight ... While the search was suspended last week when asbestos was discovered on the roof, officials at the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. say they expect that more fragments will be found when they eventually take apart the structure's air ducts and cooling towers. ...(Daily News, by Greg B. Smith, April 30, 2006)
FDNY Doc May Testify in Cop's Post-9/11 Death ... The Fire Department's top doctor is being dragged into court to help the case of an NYPD cop whose widow says he died of illnesses tied to his work at Ground Zero, the Daily News has learned. The order to appear in Manhattan Supreme Court could put Dr. Kerry Kelly, the FDNY's chief medical officer, in the unusual position of testifying in an NYPD case. Kelly is being called because she appeared before Congress in February and declared that 20 city firefighters had contracted sarcoidosis - a mysterious autoimmune disease - as a likely result of their participation in the World Trade Center cleanup. ... Because the Fire Department has acknowledged that sarcoidosis is linked to the noxious fumes that were swirling around Ground Zero, Michelle Godbee's attorney is pushing to gain access to the FDNY's medical records to bolster her legal challenge against the NYPD. ... His joints became stiff and his breathing began to labor. ... A city medical examiner ruled that the heart attack was caused by sarcoidosis, a disease marked by inflammation of the lungs and other organs and believed to be caused by environmental factors. ... (NY Daily News, by Rich Schapiro, April 30, 2006)
9/11 Health Chief Vows Death Probe ... New 9/11 federal health czar John Howard came to New York yesterday and vowed to investigate deaths that might be linked to exposure to Ground Zero. He also called "very worrisome" the claim that thousands of people have fallen ill from toxic air from the crumbled World Trade Center. Asked if he expected many more such claims, he said, "Yes, I assume." ... (New York Post, By Carl Campanile, April 29, 2006)
Official: Too early to tell 9/11 health effects ... The federal government's new Sept. 11 health coordinator said Friday that it's too early to say for sure whether anyone will die from illnesses stemming from their exposure at or near the World Trade Center site after the terrorist attacks in 2001. "I don't think I can make those predictions," Dr. John Howard said at a news conference at the Vanderbilt YMCA in midtown Manhattan. Pressed again for an answer, Howard said, "Yes, I would assume" that many people who lived or worked in lower Manhattan on and after Sept. 11, 2001, could die because of Ground Zero-related ailments. Howard also said that anyone using a "common-sense kind of science" would say, "Well, gee, we have a lot of people here in New York who were entirely healthy before 9/11 and now they're not." Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt in February appointed Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, to be the health coordinator. ... Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Vito Fossella and Jerrold Nadler and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton attended the briefing. Howard told them he will work to ensure that $75 million earmarked for current health programs that monitor Sept. 11 health effects is distributed by September. "There were many promises made from our government that we will never forget," Maloney said. "Well, today, we are making sure that that promise is kept -- that all of the people that responded, all of them that were exposed to dangerous toxins are monitored and that they get the health care that they deserve." (NYNewdsay, by Herbert Lowe, April 29, 2006)
Anecdotal Findings Suggest 9/11 Dust Can Cause Illness ... A doctor overseeing a federal effort to determine the health impact of exposure to ground zero dust said anecdotal evidence suggested that breathing in the smoke and ash that hung over the area after the towers' collapse could lead to illness. But he stopped short of coming to any firm conclusion, and said that a rigorous scientific study would be required. Dr. John Howard, the director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, made the comments at a news conference yesterday with members of New York's Congressional delegation. He cited the deaths of three rescue workers whose health declined after working at ground zero and reports of illness from thousands of people who were in Lower Manhattan during and after the attack as indications that the debris and fumes from the trade center might have been harmful. "Sometimes it takes us in science years," he said, "in terms of making absolutely definitive connections of a causal nature between exposure and health effect." But, he added, "Common sense would say, gee, we have a lot of people here in New York who were entirely healthy before 9/11 and now they're not, and that's common sense type of science, if you will." Dr. Howard is gathering extensive data — from health providers, various agencies and others — to see whether the air at ground zero caused health problems. It is important "to ensure scientific reporting in the peer review literature," he said. .... "Our goal is simple, that everyone who was exposed to the toxins at 9/11 be monitored and that everyone that is sick be treated," Representative Maloney said yesterday. Dr. Howard acknowledged that not everyone exposed to the dust from ground zero would be monitored and treated under the program. Those who were working or living in Lower Manhattan, but were not rescue, recovery or clean-up workers, have not been assessed. He said if research indicated that the toxic dust that surrounded ground zero was making people ill, then others who were exposed might seek treatment. (NYTimes, by Toni Whitt, April 29, 2006)
9/11 health czar gives poor prognosis ... The federal government's new Sept. 11 health coordinator said Friday that it's too early to say for sure whether anyone will die from illnesses stemming from their exposure at or near the World Trade Center site after the terrorist attacks in 2001. ... (Newsday, by Herbert Lowe, April 29, 2006)
9/11 Survivors Dying from 9/11 ... (Stony Brook Independent,by Laura Positano, April 29, 2006)
Downtown Is Bracing for the Chaos Of Construction at Ground Zero ... in the third-largest business district in the country ... peak of construction will not arrive for about two more years, in 2008. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat who represents Lower Manhattan, said he wants construction done in a way that would minimize potential negative health effects to residents. "There is a lot of contamination left over from 9/11. Demolition and construction could put a lot of that in the air," Mr. Nadler said. "A nuisance is a nuisance, that's bad enough. But environmental carelessness can kill people," he continued.Mr. Nadler said that initial environmental planning, including the 2,000-page environmental report prepared by the city and state in 2004, was not adequate. But he said environmental controls are "moving in the right direction." ...(New York Sun, By David Lombino, April 28, 2006)
Roof Cleanup and Other Activities at 130 Liberty Street, New York City ... This is to confirm that the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") has agreed, at your request, to postpone the meeting of April 27, 2006 with the New York State Department of Labor ("NYSDOL"), New York City Department of Environmental Protection ("NYCDEP"), EPA and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation ("LMDC") which had been scheduled to discuss issues relating to improper cleaning of the roof at 130 Liberty Street. At this time, we have not been able to reschedule with the other members of the regulatory team, and we will inform you promptly when we determine their availability. Pending the meeting, work on the roof should not resume. We believe that the agenda for our rescheduled meeting about roof cleaning issues should also address how best to ensure implementation of September 2005 accepted cleaning protocols for the deconstruction of the building. For your purposes in coordinating LMDC's presentation at the meeting, when scheduled, EPA, NYSDOL and NYCDEP would appreciate a full explanation of the roof "cleaning" from the commencement to the present with specific reference to what procedures were followed to clean and what clearance standards were utilized. With regard to the asbestos-containing material found in the roof ballast, the regulators would like an explanation of the basis for LMDC's statement that "TRC has assured us the isolated findings did not pose any health risk to workers on the roof." (EPA letter to LMDC, April 28, 2006)
Congressional Leaders Cheer 9/11 Health Official's Visit to NYC ... Several New York lawmakers hailed the arrival of the government's point man on 9/11 health programs Friday, saying he is the right person to finally help determine the lingering effects of the 2001 terror attacks on emergency workers, lower Manhattan residents and others who were exposed to smoke and debris at ground zero. Dr. John Howard, who was tapped by the Bush administration in February to coordinate the federal response to ongoing Sept. 11 health problems, met with reporters following a meeting with three House members from New York City, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and a contingent of community and labor leaders. ... (AP, By Frank Eltman, April 28, 2006)
9/11 Health Coordinator Comes To New York ... Two weeks after the death of a former NYPD detective was linked to his work at the World Trade Center site, the federal government's new 9/11 health coordinator arrived in New York Friday. Doctor John Howard met with local lawmakers and community leaders in Manhattan to discuss the goals and challenges of the work ahead. His position was created in the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor the health impacts of September 11th. Dr. Howard says he not only wants to track the health problems of emergency first responders, but also those of non-responders, such as volunteers and residents. "We can look at what happened at this disaster at a national level and not repeat some of these terrific problems that we're experiencing now five years after the fact," said Dr. Howard "Dr. Howard gives us a chance for having the rational basis from which to make better decisions going forward so we will never again have our government say, ‘Oh the air is fine!" added Senator Hillary Clinton. ... (NY1, April 28, 2006)
The Council of the City of New York: Report of the Invrastructure Division, Committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment: Proposed res. No. 187-A ... Resolution calling upon the United States Environmental Protection Agency to abandon its technically and scientifically flawed 2005 Test and Clean Program, and work with the residents and workers, community and labor organizations and elected officials to design and implement an effective, science-based sampling and cleanup program for residences and workplaces in all affected areas.... (April 28, 2006)
Letter from EPA to LMDC: Roof Cleanup and Other Activities at 130 Liberty Street, New York City ... This is to confirm that the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") has agreed, at your request, to postpone the meeting of April 27, 2006 with the New York State Department of Labor ("NYSDOL"), New York City Department of Environmental Protection ("NYCDEP"), EPA and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation ("LMDC") which had been scheduled to discuss issues relating to improper cleaning of the roof at 130 Liberty Street. At this time, we have not been able to reschedule with the other members of the regulatory team, and we will inform you promptly when we determine their availability. Pending the meeting, work on the roof should not resume. We believe that the agenda for our rescheduled meeting about roof cleaning issues should also address how best to ensure implementation of September 2005 acccepted cleaning protocols for the deconstruction of the building. For your purposes in coordinating LMDC's presentation at the meeting, when scheduled, EPA, NYSDOL and NYCDEP would appreciate a full explanation of the roof "cleaning" from the commencement to the present with specific reference to what procedures were followed to clean and what clearance standards were utilized. With regard to the asbestos-containing material found in the roof ballast, the regulators would like an explanation of the basis for LMDC's statement that "TRC has assured us the isolated findings did not pose any health risk to workers on the roof." ... On March 31, 2006, EPA inspected the roof and pointed out areas of the roof that purportedly had been cleaned requiring cleaning. Subsequently, on April 19, 2006, EPA again inspected these areas and informed representatives of LMDC that these areas were still not in fact clean. From the regulators' inspections of the roof, areas of the roof that LMDC representatives claimed were cleaned according to the NYCDEP protocol appeared to be improperly cleaned with visible debris and residual fines commingled with the roof ballast. In addition, EPA was recently informed by LMDC representatives that the entire lower roof has not yet been cleaned. ...(April 28, 2006)
How Many New Yorkers' Will Have Long Term Health Problems From 9/11? ... (Video Library/WCB-TVNY, April 28, 2006)
Towering Controversy: Continuing Debate Points out Difficulty of Removing a Skyscaper Surrounded by Human Habitation ... At its most recent monthly meeting, Community Board 1 passed an emergency resolution adding yet another voice to those opposing the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's demolition plans for 130 Liberty Street, the former Deutsche Bank building irreparably damaged and contaminated on Sept. 11, 2001. At issue are the qualifications of the John Galt Corporation and the safety record of Safeway Environmental Corporation, two companies hired to raze the blighted building, as well as certain changes in plans not authorized by the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, residents and environmental activists attending the meeting expressed alarm over what they said is insufficient emergency planning. ... (BPC Broadsheet, by Serena Hedison, Apr 28- May 13, 2006)
Asbestos stunner halts bldg. cleanup ... Cleanup of the toxic Deutsche Bank tower near Ground Zero has been halted after asbestos was found in areas the state said had already been cleaned, the Daily News has learned. Officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discovered that workers performing cleanup and searching for human remains at the 130 Liberty St. site have been working without respiratory equipment for weeks, and will not be allowed back to work until they're properly outfitted and trained. The federal EPA, joined by the city environmental agency and the state Labor Department, inspected the site last Thursday and found that supposedly cleansed areas on the roof of the 40-story building still contained undetermined amounts of asbestos-laden dust. "We expressed very strong concerns," said the EPA's Mary Mears. "As a result, work was stopped. We're going to make sure they do it properly before they start it up again." The $52 million decontamination and demolition of the Deutsche Bank building, being overseen by the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., has been beset with problems. .... In a statement, the LMDC said that while it was "eager to resume the search for potential human remains on the rooftop, that search will be suspended until the review of the enhanced roof-cleaning protocols are completed. Other cleanup work at 130 Liberty St. is continuing." The building sits at the edge of Ground Zero, a 14-story gash torn into its front from when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on 9/11. The building is filled with poisonous dust. LMDC officials said that the consultant hired to monitor the cleanup "assured us the isolated findings did not pose any health risk to workers on the roof." The agency contended that the amount of asbestos found was minimal. In the last few weeks, the EPA also has raised concerns about the method of demolition the state had proposed to bring down the building. That method still had not been approved. The News reported last week that two executives of the firm running the cleanup previously worked at a firm under investigation for mob ties and serious safety violations. The firm, John Galt Co., has no previous experience bringing down contaminated skyscrapers. As part of its ongoing crackdown, the EPA has ordered the LMDC to equip workers at 130 Liberty St. with proper respiratory equipment to prevent exposure to asbestos. "Our major concern is not just to protect the surrounding area," said Mears, "but to protect the workers doing the cleanup and the workers doing the investigative work." ... (NYDaily News, by Greg B. Smith, April 27, 2006)
Asbestos delays remains search on building roof near WTC ... The search for human remains on the roof of the former Deutsche Bank building near the World Trade Center site has been suspended after asbestos was discovered there last week, officials said Thursday. Mary Mears, a spokeswoman for the federal Environmental Protection Agency, said a visual inspection of the building's roof by her agency, the city Department of Environmental Protection and the state Department of Labor found that the area was "not properly cleaned. It seemed that material that was left in the area could potentially contain asbestos. ... We raised concerns" with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Mears said the LMDC did its own sampling and discovered that the dust particles did, in fact, contain asbestos. She said the EPA and LMDC were working out a recleaning plan so "that it's done properly" and to make sure "workers have proper respiratory protection." John Gallagher, a spokesman for the LMDC, which owns the building and is paying to tear it down, said that other work at the site would continue. ... (Staten Island Advance/AP, April 27, 2006)
Nadler Blasts Rail Link; Says Downtowners Are Being 'Poisoned' ... Nadler called for the Environmental Protection Agency to oversee any buildings that are being demolished Downtown, even those that have been in use in the years since the World Trade Center disaster. “Lower Manhattan has never been properly cleaned,” Nadler said, adding, “By not cleaning it up now, we’re committing slow motion murder.” ... Last week, Nadler hailed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s decision to delay demolition of 189 Broadway, a two-story building a block away from the World Trade Center that was slated to be demolished to make way for a new Fulton Street Transit Center. The previous owner had cleaned the building and the exterior was cleaned by the city. Unlike other buildings overseen by the E.P.A., which have stood empty and visibly scarred since 9/11, 189 Broadway was occupied by several small businesses until December, when the M.T.A. evicted the tenants to make way for the subway hub. Even a well-used building poses a risk to public health if it is demolished, according to Nadler. “Right now you have to assume that anything near ground zero is contaminated.” Now, the E.P.A. will oversee the building’s demolition, something Nadler hopes to see repeated. “189 [Broadway] may be a model. All demolition on that sight should be done properly so as not to further endanger people,” he said. “If we have to delay it a couple of months till they get it right, okay.” Downtown residents and activists have long criticized the E.P.A. since 9/11. In the days and weeks after the disaster, the agency misled the public about air quality Downtown, encouraging workers and residents to return to the neighborhood. The agency’s residential cleanup program in 2002 and 2003 was criticized as ineffective and a repeat cleanup program unveiled last year was dismissed as unsound by a scientific review panel. Nevertheless, the agency has regained some support in the community in recent months. “They’re doing a better job,” Nadler said. “Because they did such a poor job initially, they are now much more attuned to Lower Manhattan’s needs,” said Community Board 1 chairperson Julie Menin. “They are finally paying the serious attention that they should to these serious concerns.” The E.P.A. has taken steps to oversee the M.T.A.’s demolition plans for 189 Broadway. “We are trying to get information to determine more about these buildings,” E.P.A. spokesperson Bonne Bellow said about the M.T.A.-owned buildings facing demolition. “Were they impacted? Were they cleaned? " The bottom line is that any building that was impacted and is coming down needs to be taken down in a way that protects people’s health and is taken down safely.” Nadler, whose district includes Lower Manhattan, much of Manhattan’s West Side and parts of Brooklyn, said his fellow Democrats have a “good shot” at winning back control of the House in November, and if so, he plans to hold hearings to take a closer look at the environmental response to 9/11. ... (Downtown Express, by Ronda Kaysen & Josh Rogers, April 28 - May 4, 2006)
Pulmonary Function after Exposure to the World Trade Center in the New York City Fire Department ... A total of 62.4% of survivors of collapsed or damaged buildings were caught in the dust and debris cloud that resulted from the collapse of the WTC towers, .... More than half (56.6%) of survivors reported experiencing new or worsening respiratory symptoms after the attacks, 23.9% had heartburn/reflux, and 21.0% had severe headaches. ... Public Health Action Recommended: Long-term follow-up of building survivors and all other persons enrolled in WTCHR should be maintained, with particular attention to those persons exposed to the dust cloud. Some of these findings might lead to building designs that can minimize injury hazards. (American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, by Gisela I. Banauch1, MD MS, Charles Hall2, PhD, Michael Weiden3,4, MD, Hillel W. Cohen2 DrPH, Thomas K. Aldrich1, MD, Vasillios Christodoulou1, Nicole Arcentales3, BS, Kerry J. Kelly3, MD, and David J. Prezant1,3, MD, doi:10.1164/rccm.200511-1736OC, April 27, 2006. Copyright (C) 2006 by the American Thoracic Society)
Asbestos stunner halts bldg. cleanup: Work on Deutsche Bank building has been stopped due to asbestos dust ... Cleanup of the toxic Deutsche Bank tower near Ground Zero has been halted after asbestos was found in areas the state said had already been cleaned, the Daily News has learned. Officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discovered that workers performing cleanup and searching for human remains at the 130 Liberty St. site have been working without respiratory equipment for weeks, and will not be allowed back to work until they're properly outfitted and trained. The federal EPA, joined by the city environmental agency and the state Labor Department, inspected the site last Thursday and found that supposedly cleansed areas on the roof of the 40-story building still contained undetermined amounts of asbestos-laden dust. "We expressed very strong concerns," said the EPA's Mary Mears. "As a result, work was stopped. We're going to make sure they do it properly before they start it up again." The $52 million decontamination and demolition of the Deutsche Bank building, being overseen by the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., has been beset with problems. ... (NYDailyNews, by Greg B. Smith, April 27, 2006)
More E.P.A. concerns, more demolition delays ... Gov. Pataki said last year that demolition of Fiterman Hall would begin last October, but officials now think the work won’t begin until this fall at the earliest. Below, is a rendering of what the new building will look like. ... Environmental concerns have delayed the demolition of three buildings near the World Trade Center site, evoking fears among local residents that their neighborhood is still contaminated. This week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority halted the demolition of 189 Broadway, a two-story building that is being dismantled to make way for the new Fulton Street Transit Hub, after local residents and political leaders voiced doubts about the demolition process. Two weeks ago, the Environmental Protection Agency failed to approve a demolition plan for Fiterman Hall, a 9/11 contaminated building at 30 West Broadway. And the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. is in the midst of regulatory and public relations snafus about the Deutsche Bank building, a 40-story tower overlooking the Trade Center site at 130 Liberty St. “We’ve become the new victims of 9/11” said John Fratta, a Community Board 1 member at a public meeting this week, referring to growing concerns about lingering contamination Downtown. “Down the road, it’s going to come out that we were all the victims of 9/11.” ... Residents have long worried that the buildings surrounding the Trade Center site might still be contaminated with harmful Trade Center dust that contains mercury, lead, asbestos and a host of other toxins. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report this month pointing to respiratory ailments that affect 9/11 survivors. And last week, a New Jersey coroner declared that N.Y.P.D. detective James Zadroga’s death was caused by his exposure to toxic dust at ground zero. So when a Broadway resident noticed what appeared to be an unsafe demolition process at 189 Broadway, she immediately reached out to regulators, setting off a chain of events that ended with the M.T.A. stopping work on the building. .... (Downtown Express, by Ronda, April 21 - 27, 2006)
Government failure jeopardizes Downtown’s future ... In 2002 we published an ominous picture of the Deutsche Bank building on the cover, with what seemed to us like a nightmare caption – that officials were warning the demolition of the building would take two years even if the work could begin right away. In 2006, that nightmare now sounds like a fantasy. “Shrouded,” “haunting,” “draped coffin” — those are some of the words we and many others have used over the past four and a half years to describe the damaged building across the street from the World Trade Center site. The same words could describe Fiterman Hall, which plagues the north side of the site. These buildings attack the psyches of the hundreds of thousands of people who live or work nearby and we are outraged that the planned demolitions have been delayed again. Unlike the complicated Larry Silverstein-Port Authority impasse over the W.T.C. office redevelopment, there is widespread agreement as to the overall goal of the demolition projects, but an inability to carry out the plans. The Environmental Protection Agency has raised safety concerns on both demolitions and regardless of whether or not the E.P.A. is doing good work by protecting us from a health hazard, or is just being obstructionist after taking its share of justified hits from Downtowners for their irresponsible response after 9/11 – either way, the delays represent colossal government failures. The E.P.A. must err on the side of caution and we are not going to criticize them now for speaking up. If the agency’s red flags are justified, then the governmental failure is with Gov. Pataki, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., the State Dormitory Authority and others for not resolving the insurance disputes quicker and not coming up with safe demolition plans sooner. .... Demolition of a small building on the site of the Fulton Transit Center under construction also has been delayed after the E.P.A. responded to a local resident who noticed what looked to be unsafe work commencing. This train center is an important piece to insuring Downtown’s economic recovery but a speedy construction schedule can’t be accomplished if it’s done at the expense of safety. The alphabet-laden group of federal, state and city agencies involved in Lower Manhattan has done too much finger-pointing and not enough coordinating. In this period of construction Downtowners need reason to stay hopeful and that will only come if we are assured — and we can see — that the work is being done quickly and safely. (Editorial/Downtown Express, April 21 - 27, 2006)
Suits over 9/11 illness ... Nine New York City firefighters sued the city and its fire pension fund yesterday saying they were denied disability pensions even after the department told them their breathing disorders sustained at Ground Zero had left them unfit to serve. "I was down there that day," said firefighter Robert Ryan, 47, of Levittown, referring to Sept. 11, 2001. After 22 years of working as a firefighter in Harlem, Ryan said he was recently diagnosed with asthma and limited to light duty. Instead, he decided to retire two weeks ago at a regular pension rate representing one-half of his yearly pay. Disability pensions pay at a rate representing three-quarters of pay.... (Newsday, by Samuel Bruchey, April 26, 2006)
Local Woman’s ‘Trade Center Cough’ in National Spotlight ... Although the graphic on the “Nightline” report identified Wolff as a “First Responder,” she actually was a Red Cross volunteer when she went to New York City from Oct. 24 to Nov. 15, 2001, to help victims in the weeks after the attacks. Although she wasn’t sifting through rubble at Ground Zero, she was close enough to breathe in enough contaminants to cause a case of what’s become known as “Trade Center cough.” Other sources in the “Nightline” report bemoaned the lack of federal support for treatment of people who suffered health effects from the aftermath of Sept. 11, but at least the ones who live in New York are getting some medical and financial help. Compared to them, Wolff is in a much more difficult position. She can get her treatment expenses paid for if she goes to New York for treatment. She has gone a number of times, thanks to Angel Flight, a program that provides free flights on private airplanes, with several pilots pitching in to take a person with health problems part of the way to the destination. ... (LaCrosse (Wisconsin) Tribune, by Randy Erickson, April 24, 2006)
WTC Site Cleanup a Safety 'Disaster' ... Worker-safety rules were routinely violated at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11, and city officials were frustrated by the failure to enforce them, newly revealed records show. Internal letters, e-mails and meeting notes suggest the city's Department of Design and Construction (DDC), in charge of the WTC cleanup, was confronted by ongoing safety lapses. "The overwhelming consensus of many parties . . . is that the safety job is not getting done," says a Feb. 13, 2002, memo by Bob Adams, the DDC's director of environmental health and safety. Amid an around-the-clock rush to get rid of the rubble, the memo cites a discussion that described "lack of commitment by senior project management to address safety concerns in a timely manner," adding that safety is "only addressed when convenient for the schedule of the project." ... (New York Post, by Susan Edelman, April 23, 2006)
Public Concern over 9/11-Related Health Effects Grow; 130 Liberty Street Demolition Stuck in Neutral ... (NYCOSH Update on safety and Health. Vol. IX, No. 2, April 20, 2006)
Outcry builds over bank-cleanup firm ... Outraged residents of lower Manhattan joined local leaders in demanding yesterday that the agency in charge of rebuilding Ground Zero cut ties with the company chosen to demolish the highly toxic Deutsche Bank building. Speakers at a Community Board 1 meeting charged that the John Galt Co., the firm hired by the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. to preform the job, received its asbestos abatement license as recently as last month and is not up tothe job. The community board also unanimously approved an emergency resolution calling on the LMDC "to quickly revise all demolition plans" and employ a more competent company. The complaints came after the Daily News reported on Sunday that two top executives involved in the demolition project have links to the mob. Those revelations followed the injury of two workers at the site and an Environmental Protection Agency warning that current plans for the site are unacceptable. "It's almost unbelievable," Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said of hiring John Galt Co. "They should suspend this company immediately." Stephen Chasin, owner of Safeway, the firm recruited by John Galt to oversee the demolition, has said that there is no asbestos dust in the shrouded tower at 130 Liberty St. ... (NYDaily, by Oren Yaniv, April 19, 2006)
Building takedown held for environmental inquiry ... A commercial building a block from Ground Zero that was blanketed by dust after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and was slated to be dismantled will be scrutinized for deadly toxins, officials said Tuesday. The two-story building at 189 Broadway has been empty since December, when its new landlord, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, evicted a handful of commercial tenants to make way for a sprawling $785-million transit hub at Fulton Street and Broadway. Those plans were shelved after neighborhood activists noticed what appeared to be preliminary construction work several weeks ago and worried that trade center dust might be seeping into the air. "The truth is that 189 Broadway would be coming down right now if it weren't for vigilant residents," Rep. Jerrold Nadler said. "While the MTA is right to freeze demolition, we shouldn't have to rely on a neighborhood watch system." Nadler (D-Manhattan-Brooklyn) criticized the federal Environmental Protection Agency for less than stringent oversight of razings near Ground Zero. He said the transit agency told him a new plan for taking down the building would be announced next month. ... Several residents told Newsday they saw workers putting plastic tarpaulins on the 189 Broadway building and bringing in heavy machinery. MTA spokesman Tim O'Brien said Tuesday that no work had begun to dismantle 189 Broadway. O'Brien said the agency "does not have a schedule" for taking down the building because it is "still talking with all of the experts." O'Brien confirmed that MTA officials had met with Nadler and residents. He said the building was cleaned for trade center dust twice before, once by its previous owner and once in conjunction with the EPA. An EPA spokeswoman said the agency never cleaned 189 Broadway but noted that the city Department of Environmental Protection did clean its exterior. EPA regional administrator Alan Steinberg said the agency received a complaint from a resident and he subsequently got a commitment from the MTA that the dismantling work "would be done right." (Newsday, by Luis Perez, April 19, 2006)
Nadler Applauds MTA Decision to Halt Demolition Work at 189 Broadway: Transit officials realize environmental risk of demolishing contaminated building; put safety first ... Congressman Jerrold Nadler today applauded the MTA’s decision to freeze demolition work on 189 Broadway, a building slated to be taken down as construction of the Fulton Street Transit Center progresses. Steps from Ground Zero, 189 Broadway was choked with toxic World Trade Center dust after the collapse of the Twin Towers. A New York Times photograph taken shortly after the attacks shows the World of Golf store at 189 Broadway frosted with dust. It is unclear what type of cleanup was undertaken in the two-story building, which housed several businesses at the time of the attacks. Demolishing 189 Broadway without taking into consideration potential WTC dust contamination could result in the release of more toxins into the Lower Manhattan air. Apprised of these concerns, MTA has agreed to delay the project until a more thorough and protective abatement plan can be reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency and shared with residents and elected officials. “The MTA’s decision was smart and sound,” Congressman Nadler said. “In what is, sadly, an aberration from usual practice in Lower Manhattan, a major agency has decided to put residents’ and workers’ safety first. We’re all looking forward to the new Fulton Street station, but there is no excuse for sloppiness when lives could be on the line.” Congressman Nadler raised concerns about the demolition with the MTA last week, which residents noticed was going forward without a proper plan in place to prevent the dispersion of WTC dust from the building. “The truth is that 189 Broadway would be coming down right now if it weren’t for vigilant residents,” Congressman Nadler said. “While the MTA is right to freeze demolition, we shouldn’t have to rely on a neighborhood watch system. The city and state need to realize that these buildings still contain toxic dust – and that they need to be approached with great care.” ... The interiors of homes and workplaces have never been systematically tested for or cleaned of contaminants, largely as a result of continual foot-dragging by the Environmental Protection Agency. As downtown redevelopment progresses, sloppy demolition of contaminated buildings poses a constant environmental threat. (Nadler News Release, April 18, 2006)
Fight for their lives... "I was shocked when they told me I had thyroid cancer," said Hilaire, who is on limited duty at Police Service Area No. 5 in East Harlem. "There is no family history of cancer whatsoever." Hilaire said he logged over 850 hours in The Pit and at the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, where cops spent months sifting body parts out of the debris. He said a fellow officer warned him it could be dangerous, but he didn't listen. ... 'My lungs are scarred. I can barely walk anymore' Once Belinda Shaw ran like the wind. Now, the retired Queens detective needs her son to carry her to the bathroom. "I was a runner for years," said Shaw, 50. "I have pulmonary fibrosis now. My lungs are scarred. I can barely walk anymore. "Assigned to the intelligence division, Shaw was given morgue duty at Ground Zero. "I was carrying body parts. ... It's so hard to talk about," she said. Long runs helped clear the horrific images from her head, and when she retired in January 2005 she expected to keep running. Then, last June, she started coughing — and couldn't stop. "It started going downhill after that," she said. "My body started going crazy." A high fever left her bedridden for months. Then her muscles became inflamed. "It was so painful I could not leave my bed," she said. ... "I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2003," Williamson, 45, said. "I was feeling itchy and I thought I was allergic to something. I wasn't expecting this." When he retired in January 2002, Williamson said he began looking for a summer place for his wife and three kids. Instead, he was plunged into a war with a disease that has already claimed his pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, most of his stomach and a lung. "All my dreams are now on hold," he said. "The chemo's not working, so I'm on a new drug that costs $7,000 for a 50-day supply." ...(NYDaily News, by Robert F. MOore, Thmoas Zambito & Corky Siemaszko, April 16, 2006)
Mob link eyed in bank demolition ... The top two execs overseeing the demolition of the Deutsche Bank building at Ground Zero recently ran a firm under investigation for reputed mob links and allegedly dangerous work conditions, the Daily News has learned. Until February, the two businessmen running the complex razing of 130 Liberty St. were operating Safeway Environmental Corp. - a Bronx firm under scrutiny by city investigators. One of Safeway's owners, Stephen Chasin, confirmed in an interview with The News that his partner is Harold Greenberg, a two-time felon identified by the FBI as a Gambino associate. Safeway also has been cited by the city and feds for alleged safety violations during the demolition of an upper West Side supermarket that collapsed in July, injuring several passersby, including an infant in a stroller. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration hit Safeway with $15,000 in fines after finding five safety violations termed "serious," records show. Safeway is contesting the fines. But two of its former honchos are now working for John Galt Co., the firm hired by the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. to take down the Deutsche Bank building at Ground Zero. With no experience demolishing skyscrapers, Galt recruited Safeway President Mitch Alvo and Vice President Don Adler to oversee the massive project. The LMDC has banned Chasin and Greenberg from being involved in the demolition - but the agency has not objected to Alvo and Adler being on site. The agency also is allowing the Galt firm to lease much of its equipment from Safeway, according to Chasin. ... (NYDaily News, by Greg B. Smith, April 16, 2006)
City Socks Away $1B Amid WTC Workers' Aid Battle ... The city is locked in battle with thousands of Ground Zero workers who are demanding a piece of a $1 billion fund created to pay claims against New York City and its contractors arising from the cleanup of post-9/11 debris. More than 7,000 rescue workers, volunteers and other laborers have joined in a class-action suit, filed in September 2004, that claims they became ill toiling in the toxic ruins. They charge that the city failed to protect them, to reveal the full extent of the health risks and to enforce safety rules. They seek compensation for their illnesses, some potentially fatal, and medical monitoring for all who worked on or near the pit. But in a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, city lawyers argue that New York is not liable for the workers' medical problems. They say the city enjoys blanket immunity under New York's Disaster Act and Defense Emergency Act, since it was responding as a municipality to a terrorist attack and disaster. The city "should be free from second-guessing" and from criticism for any mistakes found in hindsight, its lawyers state in the motion, a copy of which was obtained by The Post. The city argues "that the government's ability to engage public and private resources to respond . . . to cataclysmic events should not be compromised by concerns about potential future litigation." ... The $1 billion in insurance was part of $21.4 billion in federal aid pledged to the city by President Bush after 9/11. ... (NYPost, by Susan Edelman, April 16, 2006)
THE LMDC'S LATEST FIASCO ... It was a week when New Yorkers re lived the 9/11 attacks in a number of ways - the trial of al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui, the transcripts of Flight 93 and the autopsy diagnosis that NYPD Detective James Zadroga died of respiratory failure related to Ground Zero exposure. But perhaps most chilling was the discovery of nearly 400 bone fragments at the enshrouded Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St. .... But the discovery was one more complication in the eternal process to actually begin Downtown reconstruction. Of course, the razi

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