Draft EPA OIG report excerpts on WTC indoor response, Oct

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

DRAFT EXCERPTS FROM SECTION 5: FOR REVIEW & DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY

NYCDOH Survey Of Air Quality From October 25 through November 1,2001, NYCDOH conducted a door-to- door survey of residents in Lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City, Southbridge Towers, and Independence Plaza. All of these neighborhoods were in close proximity to the WTC towers. A representative sample of apartments from each of these three areas was selected and a total of 414 interviews were conducted. The survey reached two conclusions related to air quality:

Residents of Lower Manhattan were worried about their health and safety. There was a tremendous concern about the air quality and its potential effects on health. The high proportion of the population experiencing symptoms likely to be related to respiratory irritants contributed to this concern.

The majority of households had not been cleaned according to recommendations, possibly increasing the exposure to respiratory irritants.

Specifically, in regard to air quality information, the report noted that:

The topics of most interest to this population related to air quality, its safety and its effect on the physical health of both adults and children (70% said they wanted more information about air quality). There is a need for more information regarding the potential risks from exposure to the dust and debris that continues to be emitted from the WTC site. Related to this topic, 35% of the respondents reported that they needed more information regarding cleaning.

DRAFT EXCERPTS - FOR REVIEW & DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY

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