WTC document preservation notice, NYC Law Department

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

*. * The EPA has claimed publicly that it does not have the legal authority to do necessary environmental tests and

remedial In response to the World Trade Center attacks. This is absurd. How can they make this claim when they have dearly done residenfial work throughout the Country? Why Is New York being treated differently?

1 also tod jit repugnant that an official at me EPA would deny a public health responsibility when Its own mission statement says that the EPA’s goal is to 'protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment - air, water and land • upon which life depends.

I have also learned that the Federal buildings at 290 Broadway, which houses the EPA. and 26 Federal Plaza, were tested inside and outs'de for high levels of hazardous materials and, when some were found, the areas were cleaned (Hepa vacuumed) by properly-trained personnel. Some fnurces have also indicated that even greater dean-up measures were token.

However, even when the EPA received teat results from a study commissioned by the Task Force that indicated serious levels of asbestos and other hazardous materials ini^de downtown apartments, the EPA, instead of directing systematic I

testing and remediation where contamination was found, instead directed residents to the NYC Department of Health (NYCDOH), which instructed them to clean asbestos-laden dust 'with wet rags and mops" or "wet brooms’* * procedures guaranttted not to remove or prevent asbestos contamination.

We must ask why is what the ERA says is good enough for New York residents not good enough for the EPA itself? Either the cleanup measures used at the EPA office were necessary to protect Its workers or, the EPA wasted tax-payer dollars on an unnecessary cleanup. And If such cleanup measures were necessary at the EPA offices, why are such cleanup protocols not necessary at many, or all. of downtown’s residences and offices?

Today. I have leveled some serious charges st the EPA because I believe 1 have the mersi reeponsibiuty to do so. However, i want to make pertecuy deer that we still do not know the extent of the presence of hazardous materials tn some areas downtown. It may or may apt be dangerous injorne indoor areas of lower Manhattan * we just don! know. I believe that given thet we don’t have all of the facts, we cannot conclude anything, i jig know that that we must get the

proper {acts and act swiftly and appropriately to get the job done right.

80/i0’d ST2 dd3a/bd3 -s-n 6f:6T 200S-iT-Nbr

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