Law Department notice on WTC document preservation, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Table of Contents

Executive Summary i

Chapters

1 Introduction 1 Purpose..................... 1 Background ............... 1 Scope and Methodology 5

2 EPA Statements About Air Quality Not Adequately Qualified........ 7 Communicating Information to the Public Critical .......................................... 7 What EPA Said in Its Major Public Communications...................................... . 8 Data Available at the Time Did Not Fully Support EPA Press Releases ........... 9 Council on Environmental Quality Influenced EPA Press Releases................. . 14 September 13 Press Release Also Revised to Eliminate Cautionary Statements 17 Recent Conclusions About WTC Air Quality .................................................. 18 Recent Developments .................................................................................. 19 Conclusions.................................................................................................. 19 Recommendation.......................................................................................... 20 Agency Comments and OIG Evaluation......................................................... 20

3 EPA’s Response to Indoor Environment Consistent With Statutes and Regulations But May Have Delayed Needed Health Protection 21 Concerns Expressed Regarding Indoor Contamination Response ................... 21 Responses to Indoor Contamination ............................................................. 22 EPA Statutory and Regulatory Authority for Indoor Environment ................... 27 Prior Responses to Releases of Hazardous Substances ................................ 28 Conclusions.................................................................................................. 29 Recommendations......................................................................................... 30 Agency and New York City Comments and OIG Evaluation ........................... . 30

4 Asbestos Emission Control Work Practices Inconsistent 33 Application of NESHAP Demolition and Renovation Regulations to the WTC Disaster 33 ^bestos Work Practices Used in the WTC Complex Demolition ............................. 34 Asbestos Still in Many U.S, Buildings....................................................................... 38 Conclusions........................................................................................................... 39 Recommendations................................................................................................. 33 Agency and New York City Comments and OIG Evaluation .................................... 39

V Report No. 2003-P-00012

NYC-WTC_000145519