September 11 public health conference agenda, Feb 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE

Jerrold NADLER UH KIS Kills SI From New York's 8"* Congressional District

M arch 8. 2002 CONTACT: Eric Schmeltzer FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 202-225-5635

Rep. Nadler Issues First “White Paper en Disgraceful and illegal EPA Respense te Pest-9/11 Air Quality Issues In lower Manhattan Demands New Information from EPA Administrator Whitman and Announces EPA National Ombudsman's Second Investigative Hearing

NEW YORK — On the eve of the six-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) today issued the first “White Paper” on Lower Manhattan air quality. The White Paper aggregates the evidence to date on improper and illegal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actions in the WTC case, presents a number of new findings, and calls on the EPA to immediately comply with the law to protect the public health.

The White Paper documents a growing body of significant evidence that the EPA misled the public about the “safety” of air quality and improperly allowed the City of New York to handle indoor air matters, with virtually no effort to assure that City agencies complied with federal laws and regulations designed to protect the public from exposure to hazardous materials. In doing so, the paper charges, the EPA violated federal law and put the public health at risk because the City’s handling of indoor air matters has been utterly inadequate, and therefore indoor spaces cannot be considered “safe.” It also provides new evidence on EPA double-standards and calls on the EPA to immediately reverse its course of action.

Congressman Nadler said, “This new White Paper, which will be updated regularly, gives the full- scale damning account of what is currently known about the EPA’s reckless and illegal response to the indoor air quality situation since September 11th.”

“Clearly, the EPA has broken the law by its lack of compliance with the National Contingency Plan [with mandates EPA’s direct responsibility for hazardous materials contamination situations] and it must now comply. The EPA must stop passing the buck. There is still time for the EPA to fulfill its mission and protect the public health,” he added.

(MORE)

NYC-WTC_000144680