News article on community park spring cleaning event, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

5-31-09

Feds say air was OK Find Ground Zero asbestos-free by 9/18 By FERNANDA SANTOS and GREG GIHRICH cials, whose tests have found Inhaling asbestos can cause OAIW NEWS STAFF WRITERS dangerous levels of toxins in the chronic lung disease and cancer. The air at Ground Zero was free of hazardous lev­ air around Ground Zero. The fiber was used as fireproof- els of toxic contaminants, such as asbestos, just a “There is still asbestos down ‘"g ™ « ’east 37 floors of the there now,” said Don Carson, a towers. week after the twin towers collapsed, U.S. health offi­ hazardous materials expert for According to the CDC study, cials said yesterday. the International Union of Oper- work^ exposed to a The study by the Centers for “The piece of data we don’t ..__health nsk at the disaster site have is what was the exposure EK aa ri t were those who inhaled danger- Disease Control and Prevention ments like they did ... [is] not levels of carbon monoxide found that none of the 1,174 air to these folks who got caught in responsible. furnes emitted by gasoline- samples taken by city and feder­ the dust cloud," said Ken Wall­ Worker illness growing powered saws and torches used al officials between Sept. 18 and ingford, a CDC researcher. ,, „ , . . , to cut through Monona Rossoi, an industrial the debris. j t, .• Oct. 4 showed asbestos levels ex­ “That would’ve been a massive ceeding federal safety’ levels. skin and inhalation exposure.” tos levels for parents of kids at signifi- But the officials cautioned The CDC also tested for a schools near Ground Zero, also ground Zero will be that the samples — taken mostly wide variety of toxins, including scoffed at the study. required to undergo medical by clipping filters to recovery heavy metals, acids and volatile “The fact is that workers are and psychological examina- workers’ collars — were not tak­ chemicals. getting sick in [large] numbers, tions. The Fire Department and en in the first seven days after The findings were greeted and no one has any idea of Port Authority have instituted the attack, when the huge cloud with skepticism and anger by what’s wrong with them,” Ros- similar programs. of debris was settling. some independent health offi- sol said. With Richard Weir

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