DEP Invoice or Financial Record, September 30, 2001

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ill Justin Lane for The New York Times The workers vacuuming up dust in Lower Manhattan needed to wear protective masks and special gear. As an extra precaution, officials shoes before heading home, they "There are small pockets of as- (’■recommended that businesses in the said. ■ bestos, ” Ms. Kreisher said. “The By ANDREW C. REVKIN Some officials expressed frustra­ concern is there — not for the city, a'area clean the filters on alr-condi- ' tioners and use vacuum cleaners tion because many of the workers hot for residents, but definitely for As thousands of workers equipped with filters for fine parti- most of them hard-bitten construc ­ these workers.” Many workers may streamed back into Lower Manhat- (ficles —■ those labeled HEPA — to tion workers — were Ignoring their be there for months, she said. ,^tan yesterday for the first time d avoid scattering any hazardous recommendations. Federal officials said they would since the terrorist attacks, federal -.•/ dust. “In the early hours of a rescue, set up at the site equipment able to ’^officials said they faced no slgnlfl- 7, Officials recommended similar the urgency of these efforts leads clean 1,500 workers twice a day. " cant health risk. (precautions for apartir^pjnt dwellers, people to forget their own health and Agency officials and independent Low levels of asbestos were de- , isaylng they should use vacuums safety,” said Dr. Neal L. Cohen, experts tried to quell rumors about '”tected in some dust and debris close with particle filters, mop floors and New York City’s health commis­ other hazards, including the possi­ iijUse wet cloths to dust, and wash sioner. The city will add more safety bility that the fires might have to the wreckage of the World Trade turned freon from air-conditioners ’’Center, the officials said, but there clothing soiled by the ash and dust officials to Its teams this week, he '“‘was no evidence of danger, except separately from other laundry. said, to make sure that more into a poisonous gas called phos­ 'to search crews moving the rubble. Over all, though, officials said, the searchers wear protective attire. gene. li “We haven’t found anything that only significant health risk re­ Tina Kreisher, a spokeswoman •Ms alarming to uS,” said Mary mained near the destruction. Work­ for the E.P.A., said that ample gear 1 Mears, a spokeswoman for the En- ers there should wear masks and was available at the attack site but ',1 vlronmental Protection Agency. protective gear and clean their that because of the heat and Stress, workers commonly refused It.