EPA Region II letterhead fragment, date unknown

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

As we outlined in detail at the hearing before your Subcommittee, and in subsequent communications since then, EPA has already taken significant steps to address the issues you raise again In your letter.

In responding to these issues, the following information further reinforces that the long-term risk of exposure to the most probable contaminants of concern (PCOC) has been reduced dramatically:

I T^ vast mass of dust and debris from the WTC collapse has been removed. This is a result of cleanup during the response actions, the Ground Zero cleanup, and the clean-up of building exteriors. I EPA identified Contaminants of Potential Concern with other federal, state I and city agency experts. This was contained in a draft paper which was peer reviewed. The Contaminants of Potential Concern (COPC) document was revised based upon the peer reviewers’ comments. The contaminants so identified were used in the EPA Confirmation Cleaning Study discussed below.

4,100 residences were tested after deaning or tested orily at the request I I of the resident. This testing was for asbestos in air and was conducted to I a very conservative, low asbestos sensitivity level and health based benchmark. 1 % of the test results were found to exceed 0.0009f/cc, the benchmark used. Where there were exceedences found, re-deaning was done. EPA also deaned the common spaces in 144 residential buildings in lower I Manhattan which induded over 6,600 samples for asbestos in air, EPA t also cleaned heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in 28 buildings where there was visible dust related to the WTC collapse, after I I inspecting 110. All common spaces'were deaned to below the asbestos in air health based level of 0.0009f/cc. I ■ I Wipe sampling of dust was done in a subset of residences (approximately 250} to evaluate pre-deanup and post-cleanup levels. These wipe samples were done for dioxin, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals including lead and mercury. The analytical results are still being completed, but thus far we have found few exceedences of health­ based benchmarks.

EPA conducted a Confirmation Cleaning Study in a building very close to the WTC site. The building was heavily contaminated. ■ Pre-cleaning testing was done; cleanup was done; post deanup testing was done for asbestos, dioxin, lead, polycydic aromatic hydrocarbons, and man-made vitreous fibers. I t

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