September 11 public health conference agenda, Feb 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document ' 01/17/02 11:23 FAX @004

Today, we are calling into question the integrity of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) testing and cleanup of hazardous materials In downtown Manhattan. There is a gross disparity in how the EPA has responded to b.e 9/11 attacks as against other Instances of hazardous materials contamination around the country. I fear that the EPA has abrogated its responsibi'’ y to protect public health by proclaiming lower Manhattan “safe' without comprehensive data to support that conclusion. Tne EPA has conducted NO tests of residential homes in New York City, even though it has done so in other cases around the country. The EPA must eliminate this disparity now. The EPA must test residential homes immediately, and if necessary, clean ell contaminated areas using properly trained personnel under the strictest federal

guidelines.

In addition, l call upon the EPA National Ombudsman to expand his investigation Into the Agency's handling of the post 9/11 attacks here In New York. This investigation must be performed independently, thoroughly and expeditiously without any obstruction, i urge Administrator Whitman not to continue her quest to dissolve the office of the Ombudsman and, in so doing, further cell into question the integrity of the Agency,

f On September 18*", Administrator Whitman said she was "glad to reassure the people of New York.. .that their air is safe

to breathe, and tneir water is safe to drtnk.” ) sincerely hope she was right. However, given that the EPA has not tested inside people's homes, despite my repeated requests for it to do so, how could the EPA have comprehensive data to support this claim either way? More importantly, when the EPA was presented wirn test results showing elevated levels of

hazardous materials in downtown apartments, it chose to do nothing.

EPA Region II officials have claimed in multiple public statements that they have no responsibility for Indoor testing and

cleaning of residences in lower Manhattan, in a November 20** New Ytvk Defy News article, Region il Counsel Walter

Mugdan said. They [the tederai regulations] were never contemplated to apply to someone cleaning an apartmenf

Bonnie Bellow, spokesperson for Regio'^ " * <id in a recent St Louis Post-Dispatch article That's not our Job and we have no polities or procedures for doing that type of testing." She also stated, *We are net a health agency.”

However. 1 have spoken with EPA officials who dispute the accuracy of those statements. The EPA National Ombudsman, Robert Martin, confirmed for me that the sgency is, in fact, currently doing indoor testing and removal of

hazardous materials in Herculaneum, Missouri, and has also done so in McFarland. California, and Kellog. Idaho. 3 00/90 'd SM£2£9 2T2 ddaa/bds 'STi 6>:6T 2002-iT-Nbr

NYC-WTC_000144679