US Senate letter regarding WTC environmental protection measures, August 2002

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Angus: 13, 2002

Christine Todd Whimm The Hoaorabk Michael R. Bloomberg Admir.iswatoT Mayor Environmental Protection Agency The City of New York 1200 Peansylvajua Avenue New York, New York 10007 Washington, D.C. 20460

Dear Administrator Whitmar. and Kaycr Blocmbsrg;

Thank you again for your continuing efforts regarding indoor air quality in Lower ' Manhattan The announcemeat that was made in May tha.t a Federal government program wll enable Lower Manhattan residents to gar their apartments cleaned and tested was a very wekom£ step fotward, and I appreciate your ongoing efforts in the development and im.plementarj’on of 'his prO£r2TiL I arc. concamed, however, that msny questions still remain, and that new questions have been raised by the scopes of work that were rsccr.'.ly transmit;M to the City.

In May, I wixue to you about the foremost concern of those who Eve, work, and have children, who attend school in Lower Manhattan — that this program be xtcnducied as part of an open .-md trac^parerk process Ic. my letter, I urged you to engage both outside expats and the pub'ic as you moved fcrw'ard v,rth this program, including the possibility of holding public meetings. While your July 25,2002, respcTise indicated that SPA had met witfdbutside expens”! am interested to know specifically what outside experts were cons’uited in formulating the scopes of work. I wo Yd also be interested to know' if the World Trade Center Indoor Ah Quality Task Force has formed any sort of advisory committee on. this issue.

I was pleased to Isam from your July 25 response that the Agency is in the process of developing*‘comprehensive communit/ iavolvaaent plans!* I would greatly appreciaxe receiving addidonal information about tlie plans, including when these plans 'will be cocnplcted and implemented, what the plans aatail, and how input from the conuuunity will be- incorporated into the tostiag'Cleaaup program as a result

As you may knew, there is ongoing concern about the general scope of the program, both geographically and in terras of The limiun'on of the program to residences. As you will recall, in May, I bad (expressed to you my hope that the program would be expanded to include small buiiicesses around Ground Zero, md to reiniujurse those redemts who have already paid for the cleaning of Their apartments. In addition, I forwarded coccerus regarding the omission of sckcol facilities from ■this.'program. I apprscirrtc R, 5ional Adraiiustrator Jane Kenny’s wiUiognsss to meet Adth concefxisd parents about th.**' we in particular. I am anxious, however, to hear Imw

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