News article on worker safety and respirator distribution at Fresh

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document 4 «

WHILE COPS AND FEDERAL ICIALS WERE PROPERLY MASKED

City workers didn't get respirators Government officials knew in exposed to high levels of asbestos ■ state probing September that the debris con­ or heavy metals, the monitors tained asbestos and other poten­ were quickly moved to more sani­ health practices tially hazardous materials. A po­ tary locales, they charge. at landfill, lice spokesman said detectives at Fresh Kills got respirators their Some workers said safety equip­ where workers ment is still difficult to come by, first day on the job. requiring a trek across the con­ s^y the lack of Sanitation workers and heavy taminated, 175-acre work area to equipment operators said they a supply tent, where the best ma­ safety equipment were finally given respirators in terials are often reserved for city early In WTC late October, nearly six weeks af­ detectives and federal agents. ter the Twin Towers debris began cl^n-up has going to the landfill. One worker said those who dole out supplies first ask what agency left them with Spurred by complaints from city workers, the state Depart­ the person represents. If you work health problems ment of Labor began an inquiry for Sanitation, he charged, you often walk away empty handed. into health and safety practices at Fresh Kills last November. The Besides, he said, walking across a investigation will be completed contaminated site to get safety By DIANA YATES gear “kind of defeats the purpose.” ADVANCE STAFF WRITER within a month, said a Labor De­ partment spokeswoman. She Even a police detective called would not disclose who made the the Advance last November to Police detectives and federal complaints. complain that it was often diffi­ agents wore respirators their first The Sanitation workers who cult to get needed supplies like day at Fresh Kills landfill, but spoke with the Advance com­ work boots. some city workers said they han­ plained of chronic coughs, short­ dled World Trade Center debris “The people that work there, un­ ness of breath and other respira-. fortunately, aren’t getting half the for weeks without proper safety- tory problems. All said they were' gear. A few have developed chron­ things they need,” he said. experiencing these symptoms for ic coughs and other respiratory the first time in their lives. ailments similar to those report­ “We are all so upset,” said one ed by workers at Ground Zero, man, “that I can tell you litiga­ spurring a state investigation into tion is going to come out of this.” the matter. The Department of Sanitation A number of workers, who spoke did not respond to calls seeking on condition of anonymity, said comment. they moved tens of thousands of tons of material for more than a The workers also maintain ^^fiOvance month after the Sept. 11 disaster with nothing more than simple dust masks for respiratory pro- those monitoring their exposure to asbestos and other health-endan­ gering substances are manipulat­ a- -oa tection. ing the data. When early tests showed some workers had been Page i o-Pa NYC-WTC_OOO141748