Memo regarding EPA-DEP air quality survey findings, July 2003

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Date Key Statement 09-17-01 NYCDOH issued a press release that recommended that individuals reentering their residences and places of work remove dust by using a wet rag or wet mop, and vacuum with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filtration vacuum. If a HEPA vacuum was not available, the press release recommended using HEPA bags or dust allergen bags with a regular vacuum cleaner. The procedures in this press release were referred to multiple times by EPA officials in press releases and included in cluded-in the EPA website concerning the World Trade Center attacks, (see Appendix N for a copy of the press release). —— "■«*' ‘ ' ' ' -

10-25-01 NYCDEP de'scrTb’ed^nchmarks and guidelines used to 1 evalu^e environmenta?conditions in a letter to Lower Manhattan residents dated October 25. In regard to cleaning indoor spaces the letter stated: “If more than 1 percent asbestos was found and testing and cleaning was necessary, it had to be performed by certified personnel.” In addition, the statement indicated landlords should not reopen any building until a competent professional had properly inspected their building. The City’s Asbestos Abatement Program requires that building owners file a written notification with the NYCDEP for asbestos abatement projects that do not require plan or permit approval from the City’s Buildiogs.Department. NYCDEP officials told us this notification'a^pH^To buildings owners who found more than 1 percent asSestos in the dust in their buildings (see Appendix O for a copy of the instructions).

NYCDEP officials told us that there is no regulatory or statutory authority to they did not | conduct a certification program to determine the level of compliance with their instructions regarding the testing and cleaning of asbestos inside buildings. This is a purely voluntary program. In January and February 2002, NYCDEP contacted building owners by express mail and asked them to file reports. This was foUpwed-up by a second mailing to building owners who did not respond, and by visits, not inspection^by u inspectors to building owners, who had not responded. However, tThe only authority to conduct inspections of buildings is if a complaint is made, or if the building owner that a bulk sample was found containing more than 1% asbestos« NYCDEP 1,^4^I received over 300 complaints with respect to asbestos inside buildings and conducted inspections in cases where inspections were warranted, iconceming every complainb In conducting over 30Qthese inspections, NYCDEP found onty-I^^'ases where a bulk sample exceeded 1% asbestos. There wer!^2^nstances, pursuant to the Asbestos Control Program, where building owners re lorted bulk sample levels of 1% or more ^asbestos by submitted ACP-7’s.. Inspection^ were conducted in every instance for all I

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