NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), working closely with other federal, state, and local agencies,
have been sampling the air, dust, water, river sediments and drinking water and
analyzing them for the presence of pollutants such as asbestos, radiation, mercury and
other metals, pesticides, PCBs, or bacteria that might create health hazards. Both
agencies have taken hundreds of samples to monitor environmental conditions since
September 11, and have found no evidence of any significant public health hazard to
residents, visitors or workers beyond the immediate World Trade Center area (Ground
Zero). In response to public requests for more detailed information, EPA and OSHA are
making the results of environmental and occupational sampling available on their sites
on the World Wide Web (www.eva.gov and www.osha.gov), and will post additional data
as it becomes available.
"EPA's website now has more detailed information on environmental monitoring
information in New York City that should be very reassuring to residents, tourists and
workers, and we will continue to update that site with information as it becomes
available" said EPA Administrator Christine Whitman. "Our data show that contaminant
levels are low or nonexistent, and are generally confined to the Trade Center site. There
is no need for concern among the general public, but residents and business owners
should follow recommended procedures for cleaning up homes and businesses if dust
has entered."
On the whole, despite questions about potential contaminants from the Trade Center
concern.
site, EPA and OSHA data indicates there is no cause for general public
Residents and workers returning to buildings where dust from the Trade Center has
entered the building should follow proper procedures, which was done at 250 Broadway,
about the
in cleaning buildings, but the general public should feel very reassured
extensive environmental monitoring data that has been collected and analyzed.
NYC-WTC 000105967
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