Law Department notice on WTC document preservation, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document The agency or agencies responaibis for testing and/or oversecing testing of indgor spaces; Sampling methods to be used in analyzing indoor contamination; Benchmarks to be used in assessing whether the indoor contamination pose a threat: Under what circumstances government-assisted cleanups are warranted: How these cleanups will be funded; amd The agency or agencies responsible for communicating testing results and appropriate cleaning mstructians. Develop and publish oversight criteria and State and local ageswy reporting requirements for those agencies invetved in cleaning up buildings and other disasters. EPA Respanse: EPA disagrees that unprotected residents and workers may have experienced unnecessary exposures to asbestos or othar pollutants as a result of delay in providing a goverument- organized and adequately monitored cleamrp in Lower Manhattan. From: the beginning, PEMA, New York City and State, as well as EPA provided advice to residents on cleanup methods {wet wiping/mapping, HEPA vacuuming) that has proven effective. In addition, residents with more than minimal dust, were urged to use professional, asbestos abatement cleaners. FEMA grovided financial assistance to residents to enable them to xR relocate while cleanup was being done, and New York City provided guidance and hen a cleanup requirements to building owners. Ail this tack place in the absence of a “Government-organized cleanup.” Subsequent EPA studies show that the basic cleaning techniques that were recommended were effective in reducing dust and reduciag dust to below health based benchmarks where these could be identified, In suxumary, EPA feels that the advice and assistence provided wes sufficient to enable the affected population is take appropriate action to minimize further risk. With respect to the ourside environment, EPA provided personal protective oquipraent, repeatedly stated thet workers at Ground Zero should use this equipment and were at greater risk than the surrounding population. Additionally, the Agency consistently eaised concems over the usc of protective equipment to iecal officials. Additionally, EPA [See Appendix R repeatedly advised anyone with acute symptoms to consult with their physicians and = |Nete 15 acknowledged that sensitive populations, such 23 those with respiratory ilJnesses tight react differently than the general population, and also should consult theirs physicians. 4 123 Report No. 2003-P-00012 NYC-WTC_000145478