EPA environmental monitoring summary, Oct 19 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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EPA Newsroom Daily Environmental Monitoring Summary Browse EPA Topics Laws & Regulations Friday, October 19, 2001 ^erel^ul^e The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal, state and local Information Sources agencies have collected extensive environmental monitoring data from the World '/ Educational Resources Trade Center site and nearby areas in Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey. Since About ERA September 11, EPA has taken samples of the air. dust, water, river sediments and drinking water and analyzed them for the presence of pollutants that might pose a health risk to response workers at the World Trade Center site and the public. The Business 5 samples are evaluated against a variety of benchmarks, standards and guidelines

srn Recursos en eSpanol established to protect public health under various conditions. EPA is collecting data from 17 fixed monitors in and around ground zero and is using portable sampling equipment to collect data from a range of locations.

Far XI Results as of 4:00 p.m. on 10/19 5 Air: Fixed Monitors in New York and New Jersey: Asbestos - EPA analyzed 19 samples taken in and around ground on October 16. All samples showed results less than 70 structures per millimeter squared, which is the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) standard for allowing children to re-enter school buildings after asbestos removal activities. This brings the total number of air samples collected and analyzed for lower Manhattan to 952, with 27 samples above the standard.

Four air samples taken in New Jersey on October 15 showed results less than the school re-entry standard. This brings the total number of samples collected and analyzed in New Jersey to 118, with zero above the standard.

Staten Island Landfill: Air (Asbestos) - 49 samples were collected from October 14 through October 16. One exceedance of the AHERA standard used for allowing re-entry into schools was observed at location #12 (the indoor wash station). This occurrence is being investigated further. The remaining samples showed results less than the AHERA standard.

Particulate Monitoring - Samples collected on October 18 using portable monitors showed no significant readings.

Bulk Samples: Metals - One sample obtained form the lobby of 110 Greenwich did not detect any metals above levels of concern based on EPA's guidelines for taking action to reduce exposure.

Asbestos - Three samples were collected on October 2 from the sand/dirt pile that was previously located on the parking lot on West and Vesey Streets and analyzed for asbestos. EPA is currently preparing this site for use as a large personal hygiene complex for World Trade Center workers. All results were either non-detects or less than 1% asbestos. s Staten Island Landfill Asbestos - Asbestos was not detected in the 12 samples collected on October 14 from various steel and debris piles at the Staten Island

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