Toxicology bioassay information sheet, undated

Islamabad and Washington. i of officials who maintained a relattonstup^5?13?*8BJ isai’U ’"Tr<»tsir"TauB " tittgec&y; - c- Pakistani authorities had already made sev­ Taliban in Afghanistan. The killing of Danny Pearl crimes will be committed again. Ing numbers of Catholics. Ttaeti z eral arrests in connection with Mr. Pearl’s abduc­ reinforces the urgency of General Musharraf’s ef­ James T. Sugrue terest in preserving ^an outmi

I I' o tion, Including that of Ahmed Omar Sheikh, a Mus­ lim militant who has publicly claimed credit for the fort to turn Pakistan away from radical Islamic fundamentalism. To the Editor: Yonkers, Feb. 20, .2002 • Re “Facing a Sin of the Fathers” hierarchical system is more in o tant to them than serving the p( co of God. James C.V rrin< Austin, Tex., Feo. 18, "□ o Breathing the Air Downtown c o it CT cn O Note to the Super: Psst! There’s a Droug o'o "0 cn Recent hearings and analyses of air quality respirators, and survivors of the attack who were CD near the site of the World Trade Center collapse engulfed in the billowing dust clouds as they fled. have produced some encouraging findings. The Most alarmingly, say doctors who treat the victims, o o most reasonable judgment at this point is that the many office workers and residents who returned to o c outside air in Lower Manhattan is safe to breathe the area after the attack have also come down with 3 and that indoor spaces that have been properly respiratory problems. Some cases are mild and go CD cleaned are fine as weU. The main concern is a few away with time, but for susceptible individuals, the - hot spots outdoors and whether some apartments or symptoms can persist offices need a better cleaning than they have previ- The greatest concern is the quality of air inside ously received. buildings, where measurements and cleanup tasks It is distressing that, despite a generally heroic were largely left to building managers and resi- response to the terrorist attack, no city, state or dents. Critics believe that residual contamination in AM federal agency took responsibility for ensuring that many buildings could pose a long-term threat if hot indoor spaces were appropriately cleaned before removed. A survey of 59 apartments in 30 buildings To the Editor: To the Editor: Re “Drought on East Coast Raises Re “Drought on East Coast R reoccupation. Only after prodding from such elect- by the Centers for Disease Control and the city Worries of Wate? Rationing” (front Worries of Water Rationing” ( ' ed officials as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Health Department found no elevated levels of page, Feb. 20): Millions of gallons of page, Feb. 20): : Representative Jerrold Nadler has the federal En- asbestos in the air but low levels of asbestos in some water are wasted by building super- Daily, we hear about the sc vlronmental Protection Agency agreed to set up a dust samples and fiberglass in other samples. No intendents washing down sidewalks, drought on the East Coast It v task force to deal with indoor air problems. one knows how many indoor spaces might be con- My super says he just received a seem prudent therefore, to The judgment that the outdoor air is safe comes taminated. The E.PA. and the city’s own environ- note from the managing agent say- steps today, before we reach th from readings at air monitors around ground zero, mental agency should determine the scope of the ing sidewalks could be washed be- sis level ' By one recent count, of some 5,300 air samples' problem and ensure a proper cleanup. fore 7 a.m. I have asked him not to Why not ask all restaurants ti analyzed for asbestos by the E.PA in Lower Man- The Yade center attack was such an unprece- have the staff do it at all out from diners if they want t hattan, only 15 exceeded the pertinent safety stano- dented event that it left many questions unan- Where are toe brooms', Bring on before filling and refilling glassi the brooms; they’re alreai here! would be such an easy “first st ard and only 4 of those occurred after Sept 30. 'swered. Nobody is sure what the health effects of- Andrew F. M hok Jr. Doris F . Surveying the whole range of data available, the ve.y tiny fibers pulverized in the collapse might be New York, Feb. 20,2002 Floral Park, Queens, Feb. 20, Natural Resources Defense Council, a respected or how toe hundreds of toxic materials in the dust

J environmental organization, concluded in a prelimi- nary report last week that outdoor air quality was now “approaching or similar to” levels ip the area clouds might interact to affect health. The greatest risks may well be faced by immigrant day laborers hired to clean many of the buildings, often without Who Should Take the Risks for Mideast Pea* before the buildings collapsed. proper instruction or gear. As for the wider public, To the Editor; on defending its pre-1867 boi h i : Even so, at least 10,G00 New Yorkers suffered short-term health effects, the environmental group concerned doctors offer this advice; Make sure your building has been cleaned properly—and stay Re “Will Israel Take a Chance?” (Op-Ed, Feb. 21): I ask Henry Sieg- Carl Mai Newtonville, Mass., Feb. 21 estimates. They include rescue workers who toiled alert for any symptoms of respiratory distress that man how many more chances Israel • in the rubble for weeks, often without wearing may indicate exposure to toxic substances. must take. The Saudi response To toe Editor: should be explored, but I wonder Thomas L. Friedman asserts where the Saudi leaders were five full Israeli withdrawal to the and 10 years ago. 1907 lines is “in accord with 1 Editorial Observer/VERLYNKLiNKENBORG Further, what other chances must Resolution 242” (column, Feb I take when I fear walking the streets Resolution 242, drafted by the E of Jerusalem? My children fear rid- after painstaking diplomacy, s| All ofNew York on the Same Page ing the buses, and other children I cally stated that Israel would know have developed serious anxiety draw “from territories” to “s disorders to confront the anxiety of and recognized boundaries.” It seems like such a simple, worth- this citywide event will have to get returning home from school efforts to put the word “all” 1 vhile idea. Invite all the residents of What began as a good the taste of cod-liver oil out of their When will the Palestinians take' a the word “territories” were rel a city, young and old alike, to read mouths before they can actually sa­ real chance and say that no matter The intent of this languag( the same book during the same idea looks more and vor Mr. Lee’s remarkable prose. what, they want peace? There seem crystal clear to the British ft ■i I week, then use that comnum literary The message behind all of this, of to be no voices’ advocating a true secretary, George Brown, who MiMVa tin n pItHn nnnxrArcn- more like a bad one. cnnr<5P is that raadine is good for Tn tho mc+ T vpars later; “The prooosal sa