US Senate letter regarding WTC environmental protection measures, August 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document [

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HHXA51Y RODHAM CUNTON seNAidn MunKX omc WASnhow.«jaiMSM Mil idnitd States ^cnaa WASHINCTTON, DC 20810-3204

August 13,2002

Christine Todd Whitman The Hoaorable Michael It Bloomberg Administrator Mayor En-viromnental Protection Agency The City ofNew Yodc 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue New York, New York 10007 Washington. D.C. 20460 Dear Administrator Whitman and Mayor Bloomberg:

Thank you again for your commuing efforts regarding indoor air quality in Lower ' Manhattan. The announcement that was made hi May that a Federal government program will enable Lower Manhattan residents to get their apartments cleaned and tested was a very welcome step forward, and I appreciate your ongoing efforts in the development and implementation of ihis program, I am concerned, however, that many questions still remain, and that new questions have been raised by the scopes of work dial were recently transmitted to die City.

ha May, I wrote to you about the foremost concern ofthose who live, work, and have children who attend school in Lower Manhattan — that this program'be x^onducted as part of an open and transparent process. In my letter, I urged you to engage both outside experts and the public as you moved forward with this program, including the possibility of holding public meetings. While your July 25,2002, response indicated EPA had mot with‘butside experts,"! am interested to know specifically what outside expats were consulted in fbnnulaUng the scopes of work. I would also be interested to know if the World Trade Center Indoor Air Quality Task Force has formed any sort of advisory committee on thia issue.

I was pleased to learn from your July 25 response that the Agency is in the process of developing’bomprehensive community involvement plans!’ I would greatly appreciate receiving additional information about the plans, including -when, these plans will be convicted and implement^, what the plaits entail, and bow input from the community will be incotporated into the testing/cleaaup program as a result

As you may know, there is ongoing concern about the general scope of die program, both geographically and in terras of-die limitation of the program to residences. As you will recall, in May, I had expressed to you my hope that the program would be expanded to include small busmesses around Ground Zero, and to reimburse those residents who have already paid for the cleaning of their apartments. In addition, I forwarded concerns regarding the omission of school &cilities from thi^program. I appreciate Regional Administrator Jane Kennys willingness to meet wi± concerned parents about this issue in particular. I am anxious, however, to hear how

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