World Trade Center environmental data report, 2001-2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

risks,” says Flynn. “Can you really lie to people from one of the most sophisticated cities on the planet?”

It’s hard to undo the negative effects of its early pronouncements of safety, she says. “That set off a ‘domino effect.’ With that utterance from Christie Whitman, the Administrator saying ‘all’s safe’ then DOH was able to say ‘residents are just experiencing temporary irritation’ and FEMA didn’t have to pay for health-related expenses, and insurance companies were able to absolve themselves of responsibility.”

But their claim that there would be no short term or long-term consequences has already been proved wrong, argued Maijorie Clarke. We can already see the evidence.

Meanwhile, advocates for rescue workers feared the worst. “ The preliminary results are frightening: fire fighters, police officers and abatement workers are presenting with onset of asthma, chronic cough and respiratory irritation, and even GERD (acid reflux) as a result of the exposures they suffered after the collapse,” wrote Arthur Scheuerman Battalion Chief FDNY Retired, Former Deputy Chief Instructor Nassau Coimty Fire Training Academy. “The true effects, on rescue workers, as well as residents and workers may not become known for decades.

“What is certain is that the toxicity of the site is far in excess of what was first disclosed,” wrote Scheuerman, “It is yet another vision of what the Trade Towers have become.”

Conclusion The twin towers left a long, dark shadow. And their shadow gets longer every day.

It was sad enough that so many i thousands of R"i’uninj ’nriiiiiiiu/Mi I H' ' ' iimocent lives were lost in the September 11* ? 1.1 < 111 J»t» J ■y?.- terrorist attacks. What is also saddening is that, a l.t // full two years after ' A”. these events, so many survivors are still suffering health repercussions, many as a result of pollution-related causes. Photo: Andrea Booher/FEMA News Photo

Women pregnant and living in the proverbial shadow of those events have been found to give birth to smaller babies. Workers on the pile are still suffering a host of ailments. And stalwart residents of Lower Manhattan—though many have left—still complain of respiratory and other ills. Some, like Kim Todd, speak with imease about the illnesses that plagued rescue dogs and

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