Memo re: review of EPA draft report excerpts, June 2003

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Excerpts from Background Section of the Draft Report D R > F T

Early Response

Various circumstances complicated the Government’s and EPA’s ability to respond to environmental concerns in what was an unprecedented and extremely difficult situation. The New York City Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Operations Center was destroyed in the attacks. EPA’s Region 2 office, about a half-mile from the WTC site, was evacuated and not re-opened until 2 weeks after the attacks. Electrical power was lost in Lower Manhattan, as well as radio, telephone, and satellite communications. Further, transportation to Lower Manhattan was restricted and air travel was halted nationwide.

As with most disasters, local authorities were the first responders. “Ground Zero,” as the seven-building WTC area site would become known, was initially a search and rescue effort under the direction of the Fire Department of New York and, subsequently, a recovery operation under the jurisdiction of the New York City Office of Emergency Management. During the recovery phase, which began November 1, 2001, the New York City Department of Design and Construction and the Fire Department of New York were co-incident commanders. According to New York City’s Deputy Assistant Chief of the Fire Department, “the complexity of the activity performed at one site - rescue, recovery, demolition, and construction - at one time is unprecedented.” Immediate response actions to save lives and meet basic human needs took precedence over other considerations, such as characterizing the site’s environmental conditions. Further complicating the situation was the fact that the area was treated as a crime scene, with law enforcement authorities strictly limiting access.

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