Document with obscured text regarding WTC plan

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document ; :FEB-12-2003 12:42 NYC D.E.P. PUBLIC AFFAIRS | Testimony Places Responsibility For Manhattan Cleanup on EPA By Moroxo Ricu NEW YORK—A senior Environmental Protection Agency official indicated: that the federal agency has ultimate responsi bility for or Inder cleanup in lower Manhat- tan, a view that appears to contradict the pate Ae public stance, according to Sworn testimony unveiled yesterday.. Rep. ‘Jerrold Nadler D., N.Y.) dis- —_ rural Neuss "Feb. tl- oF NYC-WTC_000151912 ’ Gas part ofaswornd closed the testimony of Marianne Horinko, ap assistant administrator of the EPA, ata news conference, where he criticized the environmental agency for failing to clean up commercial spaces in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist . When the World Trade Canter collapsed, it blew piles of potentially contaminated dust into ‘nearby buildings. Tenants and landlords have since been struggling to-clean it up. In Ms. Horinko’s testimony, given Jan. inalabor dis- pute, she said the EPA “has the lead in the environmental response" to the terrorist at- tacks. In response to a question about who had the ‘ultimate responsibility for. “the Cleanup ‘of interiors,” M8, Horinky ‘said: “Ultimately J it would ‘be: Gov. [Christine Todd] tan ds the adminis- trator [of the EPA].“ Ms. Horinko couldn't be reeched for comment -yesterday: Fo date, the agency has said it has been sate of @ supporting.role to the city and New York After months. of eriti- cism, the EPA announced in May 2002 it ‘would offer cleanup to.residents who re- questit:‘That cleanup program began in tember, and the agency iax Cleenied 1208 ts.and tested an additional 361 : Unifs. The EPA hasn’t offered any cleanup * programm for:the hundreds of offices, restati- rents and retail shops in lower Manhattan: . In a statement yesterday, Jane M. Kenny, regional administrator of the EPA, said the agency “has focused our cleaning and testing program on resi- dential buildings, because lower ‘Man- hhattan residents are miost.in- need of assistance,” She added. that -“commer- cial establishments had: access to a vari- ety: of programs,” including small-busi- ‘ness loans and private insurance. Ms. Kenny also said that the “EPA, sup- ‘ported by many independent scientists, believes mat the long-term. risk ‘from. exposure to Tesidual dust: from the Please Turn to Poge Al0, Column 5 P.@2/02 World Trade Center is \ow.”. She said that “only 17 of the nearly 1,600 apart- ments that have been cleaned and tested for asbestos in the air or just tested, have had asbestos leveis above 2 ‘very stringent health standard.” .. Rep..Nadler said’ Ms. Horinko’s testi- Tony showed that the EPA, rather than | the city, “is irrefutably responsible for. cleaning up all areas of these buildings. ... EPA can no longer pass the puek or point | fingers at other government agencies.” : ‘At the news-conference, Rep.: Nadler _ also disclosed-that nearly a year after the : ST ie ayironmen- results of en- eT ong ehi ef build. - ings in the affected area have responded. “Charles Sturcken; & @pokesman for the New York City department, said’ he : -paktissue with the numbers released by i Ties eongressman. He said the agency * ad-'sent requests to 1,000 buildings in lower Manhattan atid had received 336 - respenses. “We think we aid a very large job down theye with a sm staff,” said Mr. Sturcken. He added that the agency had cleawed-222. building ex- teriurs and had overseen the cleaning of: ido: ‘qnore. by. ‘building: owners. TOTAL P.82