Draft outline for asbestos project monitoring contract, May 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Pener, Sarah From: Ward, Chris Sent: Thursday, September 25,2003 9:50 AM To: DEP EMAIL USERS Subject Preservation of World Trade Center Related Documents

I had written you earlier this year requesting that any documents relating to the destruction of the World Trade Center and the clean-up activities in Lower Manhattan be retained. I have been ashed again by the Qty of New York’s Corporation Counsel to reiterate the requirement that all DEP employees who were involv^ in the relief and clean-up of Lower Manhattan following September 11,2001 retain any and all written and electronic records relating to this effort. The Qty is currently defending more than two thousand claims arising from the September 11,2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and there is the potential for additional claims to be filed in the future. As a result of this litigation, the Qty must preserve and protect all documents concerning the attacks and their aftermath, including data in electronic form.

DEP has also been directed to retain any and all records and date that may have been collected concerning the condition of the environment in the areas of Lower Manhattan surrounding the World Trade Center, irnmediately before and in the months after the events of September 11. This would include records and date relating to the condition of the air, water system and sewer system, as well as records and date relating to sewer discharges to the surrounding receiving waters and records relating to any sampling done in such waters.

This means you may not delete, erase or otherwise destroy any data relating to any aspect of the attacks or the Qty’s response from your computers, PDAs, agency electronic data systems and any personal electronic equipment that you use in conjunction with your work. If you have any doubt about preservation, you must preserve the date. Specifically,

• Do not delete any e-mails or any documents from your personal computer concerning any aspect of the events of September 11,2001, or their aftermath. • Contact Robert Cucinotta, Assistant Commissioner, Information Technology, at (718) 595-7805 before discarding or salvaging any computers or hardware. • Do not recycle or re-use computer tapes or re-writable disks. Use a new disk if necessary and preserve your older disks with any information already on them.

It is vital that all employees comply with this directive immediately. If you have any questions, please contact Mark Hoffer, DEP’s General Counsel at (718) 595-6528. Thank you for your cooperation. Very truly yours, Chris Ward Commissioner

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