WTC document preservation notice, NYC Law Department

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document FEB-10-2003 15:34 hHH ^31!3 BKUHUUIHT I » «e-Hj

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Wc cannot again bury our heads in the sand. Just because we cannot nece.ssarily see rao it of the contaminants of concern, does not mean they aren't still there and does not mean wc should go back to "business a.s usual." Because the EPAimproperly delegated its authority on indoor air to an admittedly incapable and irre.s-ponsible NYC HEP. which in turn inappropriately Icfl die burden to the victims of the 9/11 attack, environmental officials know very little about , the state of indoor air in any downtown buildings' common .spaces, including in commercial and public buildings. Due to thi.’i fact, and because the responsibility for offices and stores were, de facto, left to individual tenants (who got improper advice and no governmental assistance), then: can be little doubt that there has been impiopcr hazardous materials testing and remediation in workspaces in lower Manhattan. Some people wonder why I continuously gel up and yell about this issue, first, this is a life and death issue. And furthermore, if workspaces are not properly tested and remediated for hazardous materials, the City and .Slate of New York stand lo face tremendous future financial co.sts in terms of contingent liability as well as untold productivity impacts due to a potentially massive rise in uccupaliona' disease. We have been asking the IIP A to do its job to protect the health and saiety of these people since 9/11. The EPA has failed to respond. Inside your press packets is a umelinc that details an outrageous story of EPA inaction, buck-passing, cover-up and crinunai negligence in its role in proicciing the public health The BPA must slop stonewalling, and finally cany out its legal and moral responsibility to clean up all buildings contaminated in the terrorist attacif

TOTAL P.03 FEB-10-2003 16:15 1212 637 4445 98X P.03

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