PRESS RELEASES

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

I Bs The City of New York OFFICE OF THE MAYOR NEW York, NY 10007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8,2002 No. 50 www.nyc.gov

MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON ANNOUNCE DOWNTOWN AIR QUALITY TASK FORCE

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was joined by United States Senator Hillary Rodha’.i Clinton to day to announce the formation of the Lower Manhattan Air Quality Task Force to oversee environmental issues in and around the World Trade Center site. The Task Force will be led by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and will coordinate the activities of City agencies concerned with Lower Manhattan’s environmental safety. Federal and State agencies will be invited to participate and the City will continue to work with the Environmental Protection Agency on air quality issues. OEM will establish a hotline staffed by employees of the New York City Department of Health and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection to answer questions and provide information on the environmental conditions in downtown Manhattan. Dr. James Miller of the Department of Health will support the Task Force on health and safety issues.

“Public confidence in the air quality around the World Trade Center site is essential to the revitalization and economic growth of downtown,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We cannot attract residents and businesses back into Lower Manhattan unless they know they are safe. The Office of Emergency Management will take the lead to make sure that the most up to date information is available and disseminated to assist the community in accessing the resources to ensure their offices and homes are clean and safe.”

“I applaud Mayor Bloomberg for his leadership in taking this important step to ensure that the air downtown New Yorkers are breathing in their homes and workplaces is clean and safe. Informatirn is the key to confidence, and confidence is the key to redevelopment and economic prosperity in Lower Manhattan,” said Senator Clinton. “I am also pleased that following the hearing I held on World Trade Center Air quality last month, ' Administrator Whitman committed to establish an Indoor Air Task Force at the federal level. Workers and residents in downtown Manhattan can be certain that all levels of government are joined in the effort to make certain the air they are breathing is healthy.” (more)

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