EPA WTC vehicle contamination policy coordination, Apr 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

r6- Chapin, Diana From: Ilan, Lee [[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 11:27 AM To: Chapin, Diana Subject: FW; EPA Dust Guidelines

Diana- Do you know what is the status of Chris Ward speaking to Jane Kenny? See notes from yesterday's meeting on the WTC cars below- EPA is either changing their stance or their counsel is not talking to Kenny and Callahan. This really threw us for a loop, and as you can see from Steve Levi's message, the Law dept is not buying it. —Lee

---- Original Message---- From: Ilan, Lee Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 10:36 AM To: Sumowicz, Alessandra; Blatchford, Laurel; Kupferman, Susan; Benson, Sam Cc: Levi, Steven Subject: FW: EPA Dust Guidelines

As you can see from the message below, yesterday's meeting with EPA on the WTC vehicles took a surprising turn when EPA's counsel asserted that EPA believed all along ("and has said orally since day 3?") that people should have an abatement contractor clean their indoor spaces if there is more than minimal dust (but never said so in writing.) He also acknowledged that in Saturday's NY Times, C.T. Whitman said nothing about abatement. [April 6, 2002 - Cleaning Set for Exteriors Near 9/11 Site - ...Mrs. Whitman formed a task force last month to address indoor air contamination. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has formed his own parallel task force. Even where people hired professional cleaners, using the best techniques to remove dust indoors, they must continue to be vigilant against recontamination, Mrs. Whitman said today. "The message to people living down there is to make sure that the apartment is appropriately cleaned," she said. "And then, when you keep cleaning it, keep using the HEPA vac, use the wet wipe."]

This approach is evidently being driven by the Nadler/ombudsman pressure, since EPA could not present a health-based reason for recommending abatement. DOH discussed the tests they had done on NYPD and FDNY vehicles with windows closed and vents on after a non-abatement cleaning that did not show health risk. The factors Mugden cited were: 1-nooks/crannies in the cars could trap contaminants that a non-abatement cleaning wouldn't get to, 2-if these cars are sold and not cleaned by an abatement outfit, the new owners would not necessarily be aware of the risk they are taking, and 3-perception issues: EPA will be exposed to more criticism if they don't require abatement.

After a lot of back-and-forth on this, which was not moving EPA, Steve Levi proposed the following, which was the plan that came out of the meeting: 1- EPA will not release the letter; the City will not release the cars. 2- EPA will go through the state's list of certified asbestos abatement contractors and give us a list of those that are prepared to work on cars 3- the City will draft a letter/phone script to the owners of the 68 cars asking them to agree to have the vehicle cleaned by one of the contractors on the EPA's list and certify to the City and EPA that the work was done according to abatement methods.

Will keep you posted, Lee

■Original Message 1

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