NYT Article on WTC Memorial Design Finalists, 2003

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document THEISLAND Officials say White House pressured the EPA into saying there was no health risk from dust and debris By TERENCE J. KIVLAN ADVANCE WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON — House Democrats yesterday de- manded a congressional in- vestigation into what they called a Bush administration “coverup” of air pollution at Ground Zero and in Lower Manhattan after Sept. 1, 2001. “J have heard from too many constituents with health problems,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan), at a Capito] press conference with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the House Minority Leader, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) and other Democratic leaders. Nadler’s district includes the World Trade Center site. The charge of a coverup followed last month’s report from the Environmental Pro- tection Administration’s in- spector general, who found NYC-WTC_000142934 “They deserve a cleanup, not‘a coverup.” — Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan) House Dems seek 9/11 air quality hearings that the White House pres- sured the EPA into saying there was no health risk from the dust and debris in the air after the Twin Towers col- lapsed. The White House “con- vinced EPA to add reassuring statements and delete cau- tionary ones” by having the National Security Council control EPA communications after the attack, the report stated. The EPA’s “false assur- ances” that the air in Lower Manhattan was safe to breathe jeopardized the health of rescue workers at Ground Zero and residents of Lower Manhattan, . Nadler - said. “They deserve a cleanup, not a coverup,” said Nadler at the press conference. The Bush administration was right to be concerned about a delay in reopening Wall Street and its impact on the national economy, but no consideration justified “the putting at risk of thousands of people,” Nadler added. In a letter to House Speaker Six. Adv: Sept (8:03 Dennis Hastert, the Demo- cratic lawmakers requested a- series of hearings on the EPA’s response. “This is a critical issue that still confronts people who are living, working and going to school in the buildings around Ground Zero,” they wrote. Former EPA administrator Christine Whitman chal- lenged the EPA inspector gen- eral’s report and the Demo- crats’ charges. Ms. Whitman noted that she held a press conference at Ground Zero two.days after the attack’ to warn rescue workers that the air in the “pit” area was toxic and that they should wear protective masks at all times. In an earlier interview, for- mer Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said it was recognized that the pit was heavily polluted and that rescue workers should use masks there. “And obvi- ously not everybody did,” he told NBC News. The EPA’s announcement that. the air beyond Ground — Zero was safe was “consistent with all the reports that we Wis got: from state and city envi- ronmental agencies, and the private ones that had been commissioned by the unions er the contractors,” Giuliani eid. But the EPA inspector gen- eral’s report said that seven days after the attack, when the agency declared air near the site to be safe to breathe, it did not have enough infor- mation to support that guar- antee. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D- N.Y.) had requested Senate hearings on the .EPA’s pro- nouncements on air quality in Lower Manhattan after Sept. 11, but Republican leaders in the Senate refused. Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Sta- ten Island/Brooklyn) could not be reached for comment on the EPA issue yesterday. Spokesman Craig. Donner said Fossella believed “people had a right to know what hap- pened” but had not taken a position on holding hearings. Terence J. Kivian is the Washington cor- ‘respondent for the Advance, He may be reached at terence.kivian@newhou- se.com.