News article about recovery and commemoration, Sept 2002

z z o o co i Eye In the Sky Tracks^ WTC Poison Plume Over Brooklyn “D c o ro By Christy Goodman CT o o g Thanks to a photo taken by to crew aboard cal association professor of medicine at the here understand that they were expwed to a o' 2 to international Space Station on September Slate University of New York Downslate real risk of respiratory damage and that if "D ro o CD > 11, to rest of to world is finally realizing Medical Center, has been conducting a study people develop symptoms, those people co 2 what Brooklynites already knew. on rescue workers complaining about respira- should tell their doctor." said the coun- 03 Oi JU The dark cloud of smoke, filled with debris toty problems since Se^ember 11. cilmember. O 8 and particulates, from tlie World Trade Center o while Leon agreed that a study for Councilmember Bill De Blasio joined o « also covered Brooklyn -- not just Manhattan, Brooklynites should be conducted, he said his Yassky and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez c of where nearly ail of the testing and funding study has developed a specific grid of the on the steps of City Hall this week to demand 3 CD H went. World Trade Center site. action by the EPA. 3 tn The wlieezing. coughing and shortness of Leon is trying to pinpoint specific areas of "Brooklyn residents deserve and demand breath that can he found throughout tlx* city, the pile, and the surrounding areas, where the action from the EPA," he said. "As Brooklyn. dubbed the "World Traile Center Cough." is most toxins were inhaled by workers. and the rest of the city struggle to recover, we happening in Brooklyn, too. "There are persons ihat I am seeing that cannot have this cloud hanging over us." “.Some people wlm were exposed to the have respiratory complaints that are residents The politicians also demanded a compre- plume were treated and it went away," said , of Brooklyn." said i^con. "1 am not studying hensive study and health treatment plan for . New York Methodist’s Chief of Pulmonary u J-J ’ ’I*®® persems. but they definitely are com- individuals, as well. Medicine Dr. Gerald Lombardo. “Not every­ “We cither did not find the con^nantsm plaining." 'TTte NASA pictures and information (tom one exposed will suffer horrible damage. all.orsomet^^levclsofV^bot^h- a,y Councilmember David Yassky has local health officials paint a very clear picture People do get better." levels of said. been working with over a dozen Elected offi- of what we already suspected-the toxic However, those people who spent a lot of .mT?® cials representing downtown Brooklyn and cloud of debris wasn’t confined to Lower time on the pile are showing symptoms simi­ 12 , not^ II , and found less than one beyond in affected areas of Brooklyn, on a let- Manhattan, but was carried over to Brooklyn," lar to reactive airway disease, a disea^ that ...... . ter to the EPA witlinii^ concerns about the said Velazquez. usually occurs when any toxic inhalation •We did nrt specifically look fw fibrous post September 11 clean-up and health issues. “It is time for the EPA to acknowledge they injures to airway and sets up chronic symp­ glass tn Brooklyn or New Jersey, reported .‘h js a request to the ERA to expand their ohderesliffiated the enviraimental impact on toms to many months after the initial inhala­ Mrars. clean-up program to include the affected tucte our borough and take action immediately as tion, said l.ombardo. Tlw^sw^awomwasgtatagwand of Brooklyn," said Yassky. Outlined in our joint letter to EPA "I can say with certainty, to number of anxind the pile, because tot, of course, would According to the councilmembcr, the EPA Administrator Christine Whitman." she said. people coining to the New York Methodist be the worsl-c^ s^nario. is implementing a clean-iip program in which Rep. Rd Tbwns has demanded that federal. Hospital Pulmonary Function Laboratory. Lrmg Island College Hospital .s Dr. Rt^ jj ^(11, upon request. Inspect buildings for con- state and city governments include Brooklyn where we do lung testing, went up 23 percent Guisii treats children with asthma as well as tamlnation. If to Iwilding Is ind^contami- in any .studies related to air quality since in to first quarter of 2002.” said Lombardo, children and adults with cystic fibrosis. nated. to EPA will pro^rly clean the area. September 11. “Il i.s not surprising." "We initially noticed there was a slight However, this program is only available in "1 believe that there is sufficient evidence tn Izxnbardo .said he personally underestimat­ increase in the symptomology that patients Lower Manhattan. i Include Bnwklyn resitoits in varitws studies ed to degree of exposure until to extent of were experiencing (due to air quality]." said “This picture shows clearly that large parts that arc being conducted by Mt Sinai Medical the plume was pointed out. Guisii. “In recent month.s we have not noticed of Brooklyn were affected as much as Lower School and NYU. as well as to Hew York Tire inches of dust everyone experienced on any increase." Manhattan." said Yassky. who pointed out that Department of Health and to Centers for their clothes and cars on September 11 wa.s Guisti said to only people he noticed to ,he plume hung over Brooklyn to months. Disease Control." said Towns, who wanted to kicked up and inhaled tn the days after the have to worst cases of "World Trade Center “I think tot to tests done in the couple of secresultsby September 11.2002. ali,-ick. Cough" were the rescue workers who spent days afterwards (by to EPAJ do not cover it." In addition. Towns said in his letter. "I "We just do not know how that will behave days, weeks or months in to rubble. said Ya.«ky. "There is a mess that needs lobe believe that tore is sufficlettf rattoiale to in the lung because we have never seen any- “I examined a firefighter recently who told d^uiedupi^ J begin a testing and evaluation program In ihiiw like this before.” said Lombardo. me to three weeks he went b^ almost every Yassky was al to polls on September 11 Brooklyn?* T Ine combination of substances that to day? said Lombanlo. ‘He felt to equipment, and in the neighborhood In to days following. The Federal Emergency Management Environmental Protection Agency (ERA) to prevent inhalation, in his opinion, did not He. too, “breathed in." as hc put it. Agency (FEMA) Has funded a pro^m, found arc not typical of any situation anyone help much," are also askitm to an outreach pro- administered by New York State Depatment has ever dealt with. Pulmonologist Dr. Walfredn l^on, a clini- gram just to make that folks who were of tobor calW the Individual and ftmily The EPA took four air samples on September 11 and 12 samples on S^embet 12, They also took samples on the 13*". “We were looking for volatile organic com- prainds (VOC) which y«i would expect to be 1 .associated with a fire, lead and asbestos." said EPA spokesperson Mary Mears.