September 11 public health conference agenda, Feb 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

While the White Paper chronicles all of the important evidence to date of EPA mishandling of the 9/11 air qu^ity’issue, new allegations in the Paper include:

• A detailed section specifying precisely how the EPA broke federal law; • New evidence on how EPA’s assurances of “safety” have resulted in the denial of benefits and relief to the citizens of downtown for cleanup from government agencies, private insurance carriers and social welfare organizations, such as the Red Cross; and • Additional evidence supporting the claim that the EPA treated its own building differently than it treated the rest of Lower Manhattan.

Additionally, Representative Nadler released a second letter to EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman requesting specific new information related to EPA actions. The EPA has defended its lack of action on indoor air matters in Lower Manhattan by stating that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) made “mission assignments,” under the Federal Response Plan. Congressman Nadler states in the White Paper that the National Contingency Plan (NCP), which is actually activated by the Federal Response Plan, was not properly followed. This is because the EPA did not take full responsibility for the hazardous materials release as it is mandated to do under NCP. The letter seeks to find additional information related to this issue.

“I want to know what the EPA did and when did it do it? What actions exactly did the EPA take under the National Contigency Plan?” asked Congressman Nadler.

Finally, Congressman Nadler announced the second in a series of Investigative Hearings of the EPA National Ombudsman, Robert J. Martin. The hearings will take place on the actual six month anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at 11:30 am at the Federal Court House, 500 Pearl Street in Manhattan. The public is invited to testify.

The full transcript of the first Ombudsman hearings can be found on the website of the New York Environmental Law and Justice Project: www.nyenvirolaw.com.

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