World Trade Center environmental data report, 2001-2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

There was plenty of federal help, but many of the decisions ultimately affecting public health fell to the local government. Jessica Leighton, Assistant Commissioner for Environmental Disease Prevention, says she is proud of the speed with which her department responded.

“City health officials were out there before anyone—before OSHA,” she says. “Over 200 people in DOH were at work, particularly the sanitarians, because in the first few days, there were more concerns about environmental health than anything.”

And in the first 24 hours, it was the local environmental health department professionals who faced unprecedented challenges, including mountains of dust and debris containing mostly pulverized cement, fiberglass, glass, and building materials but as yet unknown and varying amounts of toxic metals, plastics and other compoimds, and burning plastics and fuels as well as smoke and fumes from the building fires.

BHIIIl li “When the towers came down Ii ... V . rf oiu- only thought was the ■■■ill safety of those below and living and working in the area,” says McKinney.

Although the city took the lead in the crisis, many state and federal agencies stepped L. jMMIh.. . <.1 ___ WiisUB in to help coordinate. That was particularly helpfill, as New York City officials had fr no reason to be well versed in the chain of command operating for federal emergencies.

Photo: Paul Olivier

EPA Region II would be joined by responders from all 10 regions, all dispatched immediately to New York City, says Carpenter, as well as Coast Guard strike teams, because it was a potential coastal emergency.

But EPA’s entrance into the emerging crisis would come from Washington, D.C., where the Agency’s emergency coordinator, Jim Makris were ironically engaged in a meeting with the agency Administrator about EPA’s emergency management capabilities.

They received a call and were told to turn on the television to see the attack details. The officials then ended their meeting and opened the emergency operations center (EOC) immediately thereafter to begin disaster operations, according to Ed Terry, manager of EPA’s EOC. Shortly thereafter, EPA headquarters established links with all of its east coast regional offices to begin coordination and support of the New York City response efforts.

One of the city Health Department’s greatest assets, says McKinney, was Ron Burger of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within hours, he was one of the first CDC personnel to travel to New York City aboard a chartered private aircraft that had been granted

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