News article on WTC rebuild planning, Oct 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document CUI Gene ‘Tom Butler, a spokesman for the firefighters’ union, while mak- ing it clear the union is not behind _the legal action, said many mem- bers loudly complained about not having adequate masks when they arrived at Ground Zero. ‘Not all of those who served no- tice will actually ‘sue, Taffet said. Some, for example, may instead seek .money from the federal vic- tims’ compensation fund. But the notices preserve their right to bring a lawsuit — and also show the extent of the health com- plaints being lodged by hundreds of firefighters, police officers and other recovery workers. who fear cancer or other ailments. According to Thompson's office, claims miust be filed: within 90 days of an incident. They are “put into the system,” and a note of ac- knowledgment is sent to the filer, Taffet: said. “Then there’s an in- vestigation to get the details of the claim,” he said. ‘ Asbestos, benzene, dioxin, PCBs and.other contaminants have been detected. in the. ruins. In. the first few days after the attack, ‘thou- sands of. emergency workers toiled at the scene, 24 hours a day. Firefighter Palmer. Doyle, : as: signed to Engine Co. 252 in Brook- lyn, said he worked two 12-hour days without a respirator at the site. He filed notice of a $10 mil- lion claim. “You run. up a couple flights of. stairs, which I used to do with no -prebiem, and “you find yourself sucking inthe air,” he said. “What if, five’ years down the road,. we develop. lung:cancer or something like that?” ‘Most civilian notices -are from ‘wners near ‘the ‘Trade property Center:“Police officers -comman- deered‘Murray’s Deli; about four blocks from .the. Fwin Towers,.on. the day of the attack; according to Brian-Rappaport, the owners’ law= yer. They allege the shop was left:. open-by police, robbed and vandal- ized. ‘The: city is. self-insured and" awards: from successful lawsuits would be paid out of the city's gen- eral'fand:.. NYC-WTC_000141747 “We don’t believe the city is lia- ble. But we'll obviously have to take a look at the complaints if and when they come in,” said Cor- poration Counsel Michael Card- 020, the ‘city’s chief lawyer. An additional 111 notices have been filed with the Port Authority of New York. and New Jersey, the owner of the World Trade Center complex. ~ Kenneth’ Feinberg, the adminis- trator Of the federal victims’ fund, said workers would have to waive their right to sue if they sought federal, compensation, but. would get. money. more. quickly and eas- ily’ through. the fuind. Many firefighters worry that. fir they. could develop cancer long - yi ’ after tapping into the federal fund, said Michael Barasch, whose law firm filed notices on-behalf of sev- eral hundred workers. Fire. Department spokesman Frank Gribbon said the depart- ment tried to get respirators to firefighters as fast as possible after the attack. “We know that they were. avail- ‘able in a limited.capacity inthe days that féllowed September 11th,” Gribbon said. _ phey soon, became more be seal pe