World Trade Center document custody notice, Law Department

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

human remains, heavy metals and the vague “particulates,” or just release more of it into our indoor air?’^ Indeed, as the responsibility for indoor private spaces has been left to individual residential and commercial tenants, so too have been the associated costs. It has been estimated that a professional remediation for hazardous materials in an average apartment in Lower Manhattan would cost $10,000 to $20,000, and that does not include the cost of testing. Covering the cost of testing and remediation in indoor private spaces would necessarily come from one of three sources: the tenant’s own pocket, private insurance (if available), or a government or relief agency. An expense of $10,000 to $20,000 is terribly burdensome, if not prohibitive, for individual tenants (and particularly residents) if it must come out of their own pockets. Therefore, where no other funds were available for pro^r testing or remediation, tenants either did not remediate or did not remediate properly. ” In some cases, residents who had nowhere else to turn financially, accepted help from volunteer college students and members of the Southern B^tist Convention. These untrained volunteers came into downtown apartments and cleaned, using methods as or lg» safe than the dangerous NYC DOH guidelines, and did so without proper protective gear.’’ To the extent that untrained tenants or relief workers have cleaned indoor spaces based on the NYC DOH guidelines or no guidelines at all, those spaces cannot be considered adequately remediated or safe. According to tenants who do possess private insurance, insurance carriers have haphazardly settled claims with widely varying amounts paid. hi many cases, the amounts have been woefully inadequate?’ Claims have been denied for a variety of reasons. One reason, described by a tenant in the Washington Post, describes a

” Berger, Elizabeth (resident), “Testimony before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, and Climate Change,” February 11,2002. ’’ EPA National Ombudsman First Investigative Hearing on World Trade Center Hazardous Waste Contamination,” February 23, 2002. Testimony of Jeff Micheli and David Harvey, Tradewinds Environmental, p. 105-106. ’’ Statement taken from Constituent Services Staff Members, Office of Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY- 08) and “Official Transcript,” EPA National Ombudsman First Investigative Hearing on World Trade Center Hazardous Waste Contamination,” February 21, 2002. See for example testimony fixrm Dawn Pryor, resident, p. 183-196. Cowan, Alison Leigh, “Doing Good Deeds, and Windows,” New York Times, December 4, 2001 and Conley, Chris, “Dade Sends Help to New York City,” Dade County Sentinel, October 31,2001. Missouri Baptists Press Release, “Missouri Disaster Relief Works Assist in New York Cleanup,” November 20, 200. Website address: www. Mobaptist.org/releases/2001/nycleanup.htm. (Note particularly pictures of workers without proper protective gear). Statement taken from Constituent Services Staff Members, Office of Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY- 08) and “Official Transcript,” EPA National Ombudsman First Investigative Hearing on World Trade Center Hazardous Waste Contamination,” February 23, 2002. See specifically testimony from downtown residents and business owners. ” Statement taken from Constituent Services Staff Members, Office of Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY- 08) and “Official Transcript,” EPA National Ombudsman First Investigative Hearing on World Trade Center Hazardous Waste Contamination,” February 23, 2002. See specifically testimony from downtown residents and business owners.

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