Scientific report on particulate levels at Ground Zero, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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iES METRO WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2002 t~' F ■ . . f c-i-T-y r It U.S. to Test for Contaminants In 250Downtown Apartments ’£ By BARBARA STEWART gin in September, the agency said. The federal Environmental Pro- All residents south of Canal and Pike

1 ! tection Agency announced plans yes- Streets in Lower Manhattan are eli­ terday to test for dioxins and toxic gible, as are landlords who want metals in a sampling of Lower Man- buildings’ common areas ,,— hattan apartments whose interiors lobbies, halls and corridors,, j- were coated with ash and dust from cleaned and tested. The E.PA. js the World Trade Center’s collapse. accepting requests untU Sept 3. The agency said the testing, along The E.P.A.'s May announcement with the asbestos cleanup and testing “ asbestos cleanup program was program announced in May, will be abrupt reversal of the federal the largest cleanup in its history. government’s earlier stance that i I “We’ve talked to scientists and cleanups of private indoor spaces experts and doctors and community ^e responsibility of residents — groups and tenants’ groups,” an landlords. Tenants’ groups and P Justin Lane for The New York Times agency official said. “We feel — and politicians had demanded that tlie Iman Jr. handed out fliers yesterday at a scientists agree — that we need to E P-A and other federal agencies act now and not spend months or on the job. But now that it has, S Parkway. His challenger, Sandra Roper, years studying the situation.” only a relatively few residents in the fcpreme Court building in Brooklyn. The agency plans to test 250 apart- approximately 20,000 eligible apart­ F ments for dioxins and toxic metals ments have asked for the work. like lead and mercury. Those apart- The reasons for refusing run toe 1 ments will be randomly chosen from “whole gamut,” the agency official toe approximately 3,600 apartments said. “Some say, ‘It’s very cletm, ! whose residents have requested as- know it Is,’-” she said. “Others don’t bestos cleaning and testing. An addi- trust the government to be inside L. tional 1,000 apartments will be tested their homes/’, __ . i- i for asbestos at toe residents’ request A -The agency -says ordinary’hoine n J and cleaned only if their levels ex- (cleaning cannot. remove asbestos// ceed federal standards. 'toxic metals or dioxins? Specially The agency said that if tests indi- cleaning agents and vacuums rare cated unacceptably high levels of required.. Crevices or wider areas 11

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■'S',® ments would be cleaned and an ex- plated with plastic shields and sam- ? i pansion of tests and cleanups would --pies taken for testing;Particularly " i4\

sM be considered. The cost of a laborato- '"-dusty; apartments will- be cordonied *, }' ry analysis of dioxins is three times ^ff and the residents moved out until * ’ that of an asbestos analysis. itoe.-cleaningsis completecL'^After- All testing and cleaning should be- ward, toe air wULbe tested..|?^;i‘-'.-^' ,-2-.

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