New York Times article on EPA residential dust cleanup

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2 ERAclcaii upl eaveswofflc'ininth c dust THrom the windows of Ilona Kloupte’s condominium Agency had finally decided to launch a new program to 2001. She would have ended up breathing the contaminat- H apartment in Battery Park City, you can see the spot dean up residential apartments below Canal St She ap- ed dust for more than a year. Nadler fears that thousands X a few blocks away where the twin towers once stood, plied immediately for the program. In September; EPA’s of downtown residents and office workers have done just Some books and computer disks, all covered with a thin private contractors came around to do a visual inspection that film of gray dust, lay on a desk yesterday in a spare bed­ of her apartment And there’s another problem. \j room. “Tire Joys of Yiddish” is the title of one book. “The “They looked at me and told me there was no serious Even if the EPA deans Kloupte’s apartment thoroughly, j J Art of Meditation” is another. dust here,” Kloupte says. They told her she would get only what will happen if the apartment below her or the one 1 Before Sept 11. Moupte used the room as an office. a “Scope A” deanup, the less stringent type of dust remov- above her remains contaminated? Won’t the buildups Now it looks like a musty storage at central air conditioning and heating units spread her . room. Most of her belongings are EPA spokeswoman Mary Mears disputed neighbors’ dust to her apartment? packed away in boxes, and an old so­ that yesterday. That’s why Nadler and envirorunental activists ere furl- fa in packing cardboard was stand- “I don’t know what the contractors told ous at the EPA. One year after the collapse of the twin tow- I' ing on its side in a comer. JUAN her;” Mears said. “But EPA makes the final de- {{jg agency responsible for deaning up WTC containi- The same film of dust could be dsion, and our onsite coordinator saw this nation jg gtiU dragging its feet. found on the kitchen counter, on the apartment It has visible dust and qualifies for “--I’ve lost my job, I lost my home and.................... I lost my health, . ” r: £ window sills, on the dressers in the a Scope B deanup.” Kloupte said yesterday. “They should do the job right’ ' j.? ; main bedroom, on every surface in The more stringent Scofm B method means E-mail; [email protected] the apartment workers must use protective equipment and A few days after the towers col- seal the apartment during the cleanup. ---------------------------------------------------------- lapsed, Kloupte returned to her home and tried to dean up To Nadler and Kloupte, whether the deanup is A or B

3e:®* the dust and debris. It was more than 2 inches deep back doesn’t matter The key fact is that Kloupte’s own testii^ then, she says. has found high levels of several contaminants. She followed the advice of government health officials. “Our deanup methods will be effective in deaning up She used a mop and a pail that the Red Cross supplied. ' notjustasbestos,butalsoheavymetalsandothercontami- •r-- ' A few days later, she came down with respiratory prob- nants,” Mears said yesterday. • UP TO 340 SQ.FT. WITH RADDINQ lems, nosebleeds and rashes all over her skin. Her doctor If Kloupte had followed EPA’s instructions, she would • SAME DAY INSTALLATION AVAILABLE ordered her out of the apartment haw moved back to her home in October or November « WOOD FLOORS, SANDING & REHNISHINQI J! Since the govenunent said the air and dust were safe, • SPECIALS ON UNOLEUM, TILE and PERGOl she dedded to have independent testing done, even if only • 60% OFF ALL VERTICAL and MINI BUNOSI * INSTALLATION ADDITIONAL a thin film of dust was left Those tests were done in February and April, according to Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan), who called a press conference yesterday with Kloupte. LlEVtTi: 92 Years Of Fumist-ATg America Free Shop-At-Home Service! DAY. EVENING AND WEEKEND APPOINTMENTS! I

Those tests showed dangerous levels of asbestos — above the 1% threshold that normally triggers profession­ ?S„SS.-S.S' ^^• (718) 366-5001^^>» al decontamination. The tests also found elevated levels of 766-3774 563^221 hazardous heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium 1.' *- www.baycarp©t.conr’5^^®^g®^' manganese and zinc. Fourteen months later, Kloupte still has not returned to her home. She has bounced from one temporary shelter to another with Red Cross help. For a LBwttz* atora near you, cal 1-88»«00-sn00 tol free. /rMrs ro eayjtr Msit our wabalte at wwwJewitzxMxn Track your order onttna. 65-04 Myrtle Ave.'Glendale, NY 11385 In May, she learned that the Environmental Protection

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