New York Times excerpt on air quality challenges, Oct 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

lAlO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2001 , -------------------------- ’-L

AFTERMATH: NEW YORK

. ’ EPA Is Doubted on Testing at Attack Site New By Queena Kim staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal woman Kathryn Freed. An EPA spokeswoman said the agency has Hasn The massive doud of dust that made its conducted tests for a wide range of contami­ way through the narrow streets of the finan­ cial district on the day of the attack settled nants but hasn’t been able to release the raw data to the public because the agency is over­ Bidt onto cars and seeped into apartment and whelmed at present The spokeswoman said office buildings. the EPA has tested the air for PCBs, but still is On Friday, the Environmental Protection awaiting the results. Staff Repo Agency said in a statement that it had taken Community Board 1, representing sev­ NEW a total of 101 dust samples at the World eral neighborhoods in southern Manhattan, Giuliani hi Trade Center site. Of those, only 37 sam­ including Battery Park City, brought in two san leader plings contained “slightly” more than 1% of industrial-chemical consultants, Eric Chat­ becoming asbestos, the amount after which something field and John Kominski, last week to collect New Y( is classified as “asbestos-containing.” An dust and air samples. “The information primaries amount above the 1% threshold requires cer­ we’ve been getting has been very limp,” said Mr. Giulii tain precautions, such as masks, when han­ Community Board 1 Chairwoman Madelyn barred by dling the material. Wls. seeking a But some area residents have been skepti­ But the mi cal of the ERA’S findings and as a result, Last week, the two consultants and Ms. Wils sneaked into an apartment in Battery popularity private and civic groups have paid for inde­ since the pendent testing for asbestos as well as other Park City and one on Warren Street, some 10 blocks north of the site of the twin towers, to tacks on potential contaminants. Trade Ci One sample taken from the rooftop of a take samples. The consultants declined to won’t rule building near City Hall, about 10 blocks from * conunent until the tests are completed, Ms. to find a the World Trade Center site, contained. 4.5% Wils said; results aren’t due until next week main in asbestos, according to Eastern Analytical Indoor and outdoor air quality remains a In the financial district, Brookfield Prop­ big concern for many companies and Dec. 31, Services Inc., a laboratory in Elmsford, N.Y. erties Corp., owner of One Liberty Plaza and term expii Samples taken from a windowsill of the individuals despite officials saying asbestos towers one, two and four of the World Finan­ levels are safe. Ycsterc same building showed 2.5% asbestos. The cial Center complex, said it had hired an swirling n laboratory conducted the tests for a New environmental consultant The company has his plans, ] York real-estate company that didn’t want to dents in the downtown area are concerned run tests and brought in workers, who wear would say be named. Asbestos is a fiber that once was that the EPA hasn’t been quick to test for other safety uniforms and masks, to do the envi­ think abou widely used as a fire retardant, and when hazardous substances such as PCBs and lead. ronmental cleanup. The cleanup is almost associates inhaled can cause lung scarring and cancer. The EPA also has been slow to release details completed for One Liberty Plaza, and is un­ ing the po Experts have stressed that with certain ex- of the specific locations of their tests and the derway at One World Financial Center, said “I reall ceptions, asbestos poses permanent health levels of pollutants they’ve found, said a Larry Graham, senior vice president of oper- it now,” t] risks only after long-term exposure. But resi- spokeswoman for New York City council- afions and development at Brookfield. thing I sa; half the p( Among the Heroes, a Dog Called Porkchop pie the ofr But, by say fiat o Continued From First Page are trained to lie down. Rescue specialists German Shepherd working as a patrol dog some mon ical technicians. They must be unflustered move in to seek out what the dogs have for the New York City Police Department. tration and in the face of screaming people and earth­ located. Dwyer, his ears pointing behind him, was dates vyin moving equipment and physically capable To counter the cut pads, exposure to suffering from diarrhea and was still skit­ Prior t of moving through confined spaces and chemicals and dehydration, the public tish from being nipped on the rump by forced the even climbing ladders. ’Though many po­ health service has deployed the Veteri­ another dog. Mitch Biederman, a volun­ Sept. 11 lice department K-9 units have visited the nary Assistance Medical Team, or VMAT. teer vet, said Dwyer suffered from stress known for site, file local urban search-and-rescue Working 12-hour shifts, those men and colitis. Another vet gave him a physical leaving th teams tend, to have the most rigorously women and volunteer veterinarians staff a and dispensed an antibiotic. mayoralty, trained dogs, some of which meet stan­ medical station in the middle of West At 6 o’clock, a shift change took place, from the e; dards of performance set by the Federal Street, near Chambers Street, a few blocks and with the Con Edison and Verizon tele­ appears to Emergency Management Agency. north of the Trade Center ruins. phone workers streaming northward, the “Today They must learn new tricks that oppose dogs arrived. First was Kinsey, a black said Norm A 50-foot tent has a table of syringes, Labrador retriever who wagged her body consultant their instincts. When a dog runs, it digs its stations for ear cleaning and eye cleaning, more than her tail. The vet took her tem­ claws into the ground. When the surface cabinets of gaUze and bandages, bags of the mayor perature and cleaned her up. She grabbed Some ( moves, a dog tends to jump off. But ca­ intravenous solutions hanging from posts. a braided chew toy as her handler noted daver dogs learn to keep their feet spread Musher’s Secret paw protection and Mr.Giuliai that there is the scent of decaying flesh mayor she without disturbing anything in their path. enough toys, bones and biscuits to stock a “everywhere. It’s overwhelming.” cause of hi That’s why many don’t use the flood of dog pet shop. A sign hanging inside reads, Cholo, a German Shepherd, came in date Mark booties donated to the site. “Emergency Homs. 1 Hom=Silence. 3 next. Like most of the specialty dogs, he is Clinton sh( They learn to crouch, lowering their Blasts=Evacuate.’’ part of an urban search-and-rescue crew, Jan. 20 hl center of gravity, when rubble shifts be­ Last Saturday night was quiet. As vets this one from Texas. But he searches for George Bi neath them, says Shirley Hammond, a changed shifts at 11 p.m., no dog showed survivors, not cadavers. And he didn’t find that’s not 67-year-old canine search specialist from up for hours. Then Cara, a two-year-old anybody on his shift, said Bert Withers, Anothe Palo Alto, Calif. Her deep-chested Dober- Beauceron herding dog, arrived. She had the search manager. ’To avoid depressing Fernando vmn ninecHnF HfnlnnrlnHn ♦I'n rlnrrc nOnv « enmn

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