NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document
Lead: NYC
Primary Assistance: EPA, NYCDOH
Schedule: ASAP, April
Identification of Scientific Advisors
Scientific advisors should be identified to provide advice and counsel to NYC in developing
approaches on assessing and cleaning indoor environments. A mechanism will need to be
established to compensate the advisors.
Lead: NYC
Primary Assistance: EPA, NYC
Schedule: ASAP, April
EPA Peer Review/Consultation
EPA is identifying a highly respected technical firm which would assist in identifying eminently
qualified scientists to conduct peer review and consultation on a variety of aspects of indoor air
issues such as establishing contaminants of concern and benchmarks, determining cleaning
techniques and selecting analytical techniques.
Lead: EPA
Primary Assistance: NYCDOH
Schedule: ASAP, April
Development of Contaminants-of-Concerns and Benchmarks
The EPA task force is developing a preliminary list of contaminants that are related to the WTC
disaster that may still present a concern in residential indoor environments. The task force is also
developing criteria that will be used to determine benchmark levels of these compounds which
would reflect within reasonable expectation a return to levels that existed before the WTC attack
collapse and therefore reasonable assurance that these contaminants do not pose long-term health
risks through the indoor environment.
Lead: EPA
Primary Assistance: NYCDOH, NYSDOH, NYSDEC, ATSDR
Schedule: Preliminary list will be done by April 30, 2002. Final list will not be developed until
completion of background study and completion of peer review.
Study of Background Levels of Contaminants-of-Concern
To better evaluate what are significant levels of contaminants-of-concem, EPA and NYCDOH
are undertaking a study to establish what may be considered pre-existing levels of these
compounds in a NYC indoor environment. This study will involve collection of samples in
residential locations unaffected by the WTC-dust. Since the results from this study are needed as
quickly as possible, we are planning on conducting a limited study, nonetheless, it should provide
useful information for developing final screening criteria. A literature review is also underway to
determine if there is existing background urban data for the contaminants-of-concem. The EPA
and ATSDR request for this effort has recently been submitted to FEMA. NYCDOH needs to
expeditiously submit its request for funding for this project since NYCDOH is the agency
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