Mayor's Office fax on task force proposal and meeting locations,

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

z' Monday 04 of Mar 2002, Mayor Office ->718 595 4544 Page 4 of 5 »«" •

staff w ould be necessary as well. A website and a storefront office should be established as well. Maximum expected volume is approximately 100 calls per day. based on calls to DEP- HELP on the air quality issue. Other lower Manhattan matters would be referred to Andy I Salkin (conslniction utilities street closings) and Josh Sirefman (economic development) as appropriate. I • Review data and analyze risk Retain a professional environmental engineering firm to review all the bulk and air quality data collected to date and to perform a broad-based risk analysis. Commission the firm to make more definite statements and clear comparisons of risks than have been made to date (e.g. comparisons of air quality in Low er Manhattan vs. LA or Houston or Mexico Cite .) The firm should also develop interesting and user-friendly charts and graphic.s that will convey these risks to a lay audience. • Public information campaign Retain a professional communications firm to develop an aggressive community outreach campaign with pamphlets, videos, a web site, and maps to communicate environmental data and show case the City's response efforts in Lower Manhattan. Promote the effort.s the City has already undertaken -- there has been an extraordinary level of cooperation between many goveriunental entities throughout this process. • .Air quality ombudsman Hire a reputable environmental consultant to act as an ombudsman/advocate for the public witli the City, attend community board meetings, assist the community in interpreting data. etc. The firm would be available to answer questions and even perform some basic indooj- air quality testing upon request. OEM reports that this was done for the lead paint issue, and it worked well. • Digitize PEP sampling results PEP has information on over 100.000 samples taken by contractors in private buildings. Organize, digitize, and share this info to reassure the public (check with PEP legal on this.) Pevelop database to provide information on timing and results of testing at given addresses south of Chambers. Hotline operators could provide this information. • Enforcement authority Petermine agencies' (PEP, POH. HPP. POB) enforcement authority regarding testing and cleaning dust. Pecide upon enforcement efforts and document them. Promotion of this must be balanced with desire not to discourage business and investment in the area. Check on regulator s- authority of PEP. HPP. and POB and whether dust can be declared a public health nuisance. • Refiite misleading data, and interpretations .Misleading data regarding Low er .Manhattan's environmental safety has been publicly released, causing confiision among area residents and businesses. The eventual result has been the erosion of the public's confidence in the ability of variou.s government agencies to address environmental issues in Low er Manliattan. For example an EPA scientist in Washington, Cate Jenkins, has circulated a number of memos on EP.A letterhead disputing EP.A's air quality assurances. EPA has to date not refitted her allegations bitt has expressed an intention to do so in the near fiiture. The City should consider asking a blue ribbon panel of health experts (from NYU. Columbia. Mount Sinai) to examine published data and comment on risk and on the City's efforts. • Other possible activities

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