EPA testimony before NY State committee, Nov 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

^tateipent of Kathleen Callahan Acting Deputy Regional Administrator U.S. Environment.. Page 3 of 4

immediate health threat.

Asbestos exposure becomes a health concern when high concentrations of asbestos fibers are inhaled over a long period of time. Illness is very unlikely to result from a single, high-level exposure or from a short period of exposure to lower levels.

We do know that some people returning to area homes and businesses are finding dusty environments. If you find that your home or office has dust or debris from the collapse, you should follow the recommendations of the New York City Departments of Health and Environmental Protection on how to clean up properly.

Where we have found elevated levels of asbestos in lower Manhattan or where we have gotten reports of dusty conditions, EPA has been using our large HEPA vacuum trucks to pick up the dust. We've cleaned sidewalks, the promenade at Battery Park City, local playgrounds and parks and even children's sand boxes.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has been monitoring for fine particulates - those smaller than 2.5 microns - at their existing network of monitoring stations. DEC & EPA have added three additional stations in lower Manhattan. To date, with a few exceptions, the levels of fine particulates have been below the level of concern for the general public, as well as groups more sensitive to air pollutants.

In addition to air and dust sampling, we also tested drinking water and water quality in the Hudson and East Rivers. All samples of drinking water, which were tested for a wide range of contaminants, had levels below federal standards. Analysis of runoff following heavy rain on September 14 did show some elevated levels of PCBs and other pollutants. Follow-up sampling on several occasions, however, found levels back to those normally found in area waters.

I know we will go into greater detail during the question and answer period, but I would like to touch on one additional topic. We are all committed to sharing the results of all of the data with the public and to helping people understand what they mean. All of the agencies share our data and use it to assess the risks to workers and the public and to develop approaches to any Identified threats.

EPA has taken the lead in making the data available to the public through our website. Quite a bit of it is now up on our site - www.epa.qov - along with a daily summary of our findings. All of our data is available at a public information repository at our offices at 290 Broadway.

Response workers and the people of New York have been through much uncertainty and anxiety. We hope that our findings will help to allay concerns about their health and their environment. Be assured that we will be vigilant in our ongoing monitoring efforts.

In closing Mr Chairman, on behalf of all of us in the regional office of EPA, I would like to thank you for being a leader in environmental stewardship during your tenure as Chair of this Committee.

Thank you.

NYC-WTC_000141012