EPA asbestos testing program announcement, Sept 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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cake-like deposits, meaning that it is not airborne and is not likely to be breathed in by

local residents or visitors.

We have also been collecting indoor air samples from 300 building owners in

Lower Manhattan; of 121,000 samples submitted to date, only 1% have required a

professional clean-up. DEP has responded to owner requests and citizen complaints

about dust and debris in apartments with site visits to review interior and exterior

conditions. To date, we have received 218 complaints regarding possible asbestos

contamination in apartments; only one of these complaints has warranted a clean-up.

We are confident that there is minimal reason for public concerns about the air in their

homes. Regardless, we recognize that New Yorkers need to be assured that they are

not being exposed to pollutants that might pose long-term health risks. Through the

partnership of these agencies, we are pleased to be going forward with this program to

offer testing of residential units south of Canal Street river-to-river, and to provide

professional cleaning and follow-up testing free of charge in those cases where

contaminants are identified.

The scientific data about immediate health risks from short-term exposure to

asbestos is reassuring, and in the few cases where it has been found in homes.

professional clean-up has been completed. Unfortunately, there are few existing

standards for indoor air quality and sampling protocols are still rudimentary at this

point, but we are working with experienced asbestos remediation contractors to test

and analyze interior spaces as requested by the public, all the while continuing to

develop accurate evaluation criteria. As we conduct the necessary background studies,

we will keep the public informed about any new information that is valuable in the

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