Law Department notice on WTC document preservation, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document : EPA also emphasized that people retarning to dusty homes and ‘workplaces should have these spaces professionally cleaned by arbestos contractors - The Report erroncously focuses on five early Agency press releases, neglecting joj pour the extensiveness of EPA’s commaunicalions. Note 3 ai - EPA undertook a massive outreach program, which included hundreds of media interviews (print, radio, TV), participation in pubhe forums, distributions of ters of thousands of fact sheets and handoxts, and extensive usage of the Intemct (including information in three languages). - An immediate and continuing problem in measuring and cormmunicating environmental risk associated with the WTC dust/debriz cloud was the fact that for many of the contaminants of concer, these were no health based standards. . ‘The need for such standards conld not have ever been reasonably mo anticspated, Note 8 * Even for asbestos, the contaminant of praatest concem, there was no applicable standard covering the situation in Lower Manhattan. * In exercising its professional jidgement, EPA consulted with experts ia eaviroumextal health and science at federal, state and local levels. Conid things have been done better? Certainly. Were mistakes made? Without a doubt. Bat like other agencies of government in the wake of this event, EPA has reviewed its response, no a about its conduct, and begun the process the process of change and VETERE. To be a valid basis for planning, the Draft Report needed to capture the things that went tight - and the vast majority of our efforts did ~ as wel} as what needs to be auproved. This Report simply seems out of touch with the rcality of what tank place at the World Trade Center, and thus it trivializes both the horrendows event that occurred and the extraordinary efforts of jo Aopen EPA and other responders. Note 8 By ignoring that good work, the Report leaves 2 bruised population wondering once again if their government properly served them at their time of greatest need. The fast is, the dedicated people of the EPA -- and government at all tevels ~ page to the challenge of the World Trade Center disaster... and performed with courage end distinction. 119 Report No. 2003-P-00012 NYC-WTC_000145650