Lower Manhattan health and safety web page content draft, 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Q. Lately, I’ve been seeing men dressed in big white suits on the rooflops of various buildings around Lower Manhattan, ffhat are they doing? [INSERT NYC DEP CLEANUP PHOTOS]

A. The men you’re seeing have been contracted by New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) to remove the debris from the WTC collapse that , accumulated on building surfaces, including rooftops, facades, fire escapes, and canopies. This work is part of the Exterior Building Cleanup Program under which NYC DEP i identified buildings within [INSERT MILE-RADIUS] of the WTC site that had visible accumulations of debris, contacted building owners to ask permission to clean the debris and test it for the presence of asbestos, and began cleaning buildings whose owners gave ’ licensed agreements. The program’s cost is being covered by FEMA.

The exterior of each building designated for cleanup is being vacuiuned with a high | efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter vacuum, wet wiped, and given a final wash. An I ‘ independent contractor is conducting air monitoring to ensure that the cleanup work does \ * not cause re-suspension of WTC dust in the air. The program started on June 3 and is \ expected to be completed by October 3^, 2002.

Although the men are wearing protective suits, there is no need to be concerned about the cleanup process - you don’t need to be wearing this type of clothing when you’re in their vicinity. They wear this gear because they are potentially exposed to hazardous material daily over the course of their work lives.

[Insert quote from reputable source about how the Exterior Building Cleanup Program is part of an effort to reassure the public that air quality in lower Manhattan is, and will continue to be, safe for residents, workers and visitors.]

For more information about the Exterior Building Cleanup Program, visit NYC DEP’s Web site or call (718) DEP-HELP.

g. I received a flyer in the mail a while ago about apartment cleaning, but have no idea what it entails, ifit’s still going on, or ifI’m even eligible. Can you tell me more about this?

A. The flyer you received was sent to 38,000 residents in Lower Manhattan, and announced a residential dust cleanup program being conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The program offers the opportunity to 1) request your apartment be professionally cleaned and then tested for asbestos (if asbestos is still present, your home will be re­ cleaned) or 2) that your residence be first tested for asbestos without professional cleaning. If- and only if - asbestos is found during testing, you may ask that your residence be professionally cleaned. The deadline for the request is October 2,2002.

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