New York Times article on EPA apartment cleanup plan, 2002

879771000 OLM-OAN oe ee co Cee ees See eT Sa By GREG GITTRICH DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Bowing to angry tenants and homeowners near Ground Zero, the Favironmental Protection Agency said yesterday it would test and clean apartments potentially tainted with asbestos from the destruc- - tion of the World Trade Center. The federal agency’s decision to clean as many as 15,000 apartments south of Canal St. represents a dramatic flip-flop in policy. The agency had argued that landlords and homeowners were responsible for the task. Despite the about-face, the EPA and city environmental offi- cials maintained yesterday that no health emergency exists. They said the sweeping new pro- gram is being carried out large- ly to ease fears of those who live near Ground Zero. “While the scientific ‘ata about any immediate he.!th risks from indoor air is very -e- assuring, people should «>t have to live with uncertainty about their futures,” said Jane Kenny, EPA regional administra- tor. “There is no emergency ‘here.” However, at the same news conference, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan) said, “Lots of sci- entific data supports that there are real problems.” ‘Going to deal with it’ “The important thing is we are going to deal with it now,” said Nadler, who had battled, along with Sen. Hillary Clinton (@-N.Y), to force the EPA to clean homes near the disaster site. By June 1, people concerned that their homes are tainted with asbestos will be able to call a hotline and get city-certified aa fae Fm A TATA é ;:s PRE ST 28 (nt POUT AALUISEE Approximately 15,000 apartments south of Canal St, Including buildings near | n A usta 51210 % AFTERMATH ewe <a ALA : sm #2 rad grad Aeav tL’ sated) cr ee Sf Rng arede2 a Neve sy ek Pe Ee au rat! adenae snd “ THOMAS MONASTER DAILY NEWS North End Ave., will be cleaned and tested for asbestos by the Environmental Protection Agency. contractors to test and clean their apartments. Testing will be conducted af- ter — not before — an apart- ment is cleaned. Officials said the cleaning should remove oth- er contaminants, such as lead and mercury, released into the air when the towers collapsed af- ter they were attacked by terror- ists Sept 11. But the program will test only for asbestos. Nadler argued that the clean- ing should be done building by building — not unit by unit — to avo: “a threat of recontamina- tion.” Inhaling .sbestos can cause chronic lung disease and can- cer. The fiber was used as fire- proofing in at least 37 floors of - the south tower. The Federal Emergency Man- agement Agency is picking | the tab for the program, whic does not include nonresidential spaces such as schools. rrofessional cleaning costs about $1.50 per square foot. But the tab can quadruple if asbes- tos is detected. JUBWINDOG |BUO”d J1/GNd 11/6 OAN