Law Department notice on WTC document preservation, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Sufftcienlly decatied health risk in&nnation is effectively coerunuiricated to the public, hscludiftg actions that the public should take to reduce their potcixtial exposure to haonfol pollutants.

EPA Response; 'With respect to worker safety on or near die debris pile al Ground Zero, alfociugh OSHA had direct responsibility, EPA st^ported them ic many ways. EPA intmediately laovlded a large supply of respfeatore for the wotfoats, followed by a long-term and conemed effort to educate workeca about foe need to wear foe masks. Further. EPA’s wotker-safiay message was stressed repeatedly io news releases, media interwiews, puWic mectioga and appearances, on foe A^^ncy's WTC Web site. In flyers and posters at the worker wash ESm Af^^dix R station that EPA provided. Note 17 With respect to the public 's rqxjrted need for better infoimafion. EPA and otiwr federal, State and local agencies provided the most eozE^aciteateve and up to date ^formation available. As mentioned earUer is response to Cl^jtcr 1, extensive air moaitaring data was available on an rntoactive Web site and air sampling resolts were reported out as soon as foey were reviswed in disciBsions with media representatives, federal, state and loeaJ officials, elected officiais and interested citizens. While govcnuncnt agencies, See Appendix R including EPA, shonld «xttmiA« risk communicMion tools and skills in emergency Motels sitiiatioaB said make in^sovoneots. the piditlc sometimes wants infonnation that is simply not scientifically available, or is not awailaMe quickly. B?A feels that foe efforts made in conjunctioa with New York City and State, FEMA and OSHA provided reasonable assurance ttef worker’s and foe geoetal public’s exposure to conUtwinams was immcnized. As foe report adknowiedgea, EPA has initiated aefoms to improve risk txrtntnunicarions to foe public, and wifo regard to worker safety, is participaiiag in a FEM-A-ted Interagency effort to provide uniform occupationsd safetj- and health policy under foe Federal Response Plan.

FVRTHKR ACTIONS NEEDED TO ADDRESS CURRENT WTC ■NSE

CoadosiaB: “Extenesive ambieot manitoriitB: data collected dter September 11 demoasixatsd foat outdoor air quality levels around Lower Maaltattan eventually returned to pre-Septerobef 11 levels. As such, EPA does not need to take additional actioos to address outdoor atnbicet air qualify concerns specifically related to the collapse of foe

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126 Report No. 2003-P-00012

NYC-WTC_000145657