New York Times article on WTC apartment cleanup bids, Aug

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

5S METRO WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2002

CITY IL' U.S. to Test for Contaminants In 250Downtown Apartments ■

By BARBARA STEWART gin in September, the agency said. The federal Environmental Pro­ AU residents south of Canal and Pike tection Agency announced plans yes­ Streets in Lower Manhattan are eli­ terday to test for dioxins and toxic gible, as are landlords who want metals in a sampling of Lower Man­ their buUdings’ common areas hattan apartments whose, interiors lobbies, halls and corridors / t- were coated with ash and dust from cleaned and tested. The E.P.^ ’ is the World Trade Center’s collapse. accepting requests until Sept 3. '\ The agency said the testing, along The E.P.A’s May announcement with the asbestos cleanup and testing of an asbestos cleanup program was program announced in May, will be an abrupt reversal of the federal government’s earUer stance that a the largest cleanup in its history. “We’ve talked to scientists and cleanups of private indoor spaces experts and doctors and community were the responsibUity of residents ; .3 groups and tenants’ groups,” an and landlords. Tenants’ groups and Justin Lane for The New York Times agency official said. “We feel — and poUticians had demanded that tlie scientists agree — that we need to E.P.A and other federal agencies man Jr. handed out fliers yesterday at a act now and not spend months or take on the job. But now that it has, Parkway. His challenger, Sandra Roper, years studying the situation.” only a relatively few residents in the upreme Court building in Brooklyn. The agency plans to test 250 apart­ approximately 20,000 eligible apart­ ments for dioxins and toxic metals ments have asked for the work. * like lead and mercury. Those apart­ The reasons for refusing run the ments will be randomly chosen from “whole gamut” the agency official I '' '1'- the approximately 3,600 apartments said. “Some say, ‘It’s very clean, I whose residents have requested as- know it is,’-” she said. “Others don’t bestos cleaning and testing. An addi- trust the government to be inside

I 'T-;. tional 1,000 apartments wiU be tested their homes. ” _ ........ for asbestos at the residents’ request Z The agency -says ordinary home and cleaned only if their levels ex- fcleaning cannot remove asbestos/ ceed federal standards. ^xic metals or dioxins. Specialized .

The agency said that if tests indi- cleaning agents and vacuums >are cated unacceptably high levels of required. Crevices or wider ar^as dioxins and toxic metals, the apart- with thick coatings of dust wiU be ments would be cleaned and an ex- isolated with plastic shields and sam- pansion of tests and cleanups would f Ples taken for testing. Particularly IS be considered. The cost of a laborato- dusty apartments wUl be cordoned ry analysis of dioxins is three times off and the residents moved out until that of an asbestos analysis. (the cleaning is completed. Aftw- All testing and cleaning should be- ward, the air will be tested. * ■iL.

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