DEP Memo to City Council on WTC Matters

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Hearings of the City Council Committee on Health and the Select Committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Regarding Air Quality in New York City after the Events of 9-11

April 15,2004

Folio'**' Questions to the Testicaony of New York City Agencies

1. Government Response to 9-11 Events

1 On September 11* what role did the EPA play in conducting an environmental assessment, including air quality monitoring/evaluation, to assess the air quality in Lower Manhattan? What role did the EPA have between September 11* and September 18* (the return to work aruiouncement) in conducting a further assessment of the air quality in Lower Manhattan? How did the EPA influence the return to work announcement? Describe the role the White House/White House Council on the Environment played in the “return to work” decision.

2. On September 11 what role did the DEC play in conducting an environmental assessment, including air quality monitoring/evaluation, to assess the air quality in Lower Manhattan? What role did the DEC have between September 11* and September 18* (the return to work announcement) in conducting a further assessment of the air quality in Lower Manhattan? How did the DEC influence the return to work aruiouncement?

3. On September 11 what role did the DEP play in conducting an environmental assessment, including air quality monitoring/evaluation, to assess the air quality in Lower Manhattan? What role did the DEP have between September 11* and September 18* (the return to work announcement) in conducting a further assessment of the air quality in Lower Manhattan? How did the DEP influence the return to work announcement?

4. How did the aforesaid agencies coordinate efforts to assess the air quality in Lower Manhattan? What understanding did the City, State, and federal government reach as to the division of responsibility for environmental assessment? Were there any other entities that had a role in the assessment/monitoring/evaluation of the air quality in Lower Manhattan? If so, describe their role and how tJiey coordinated with the other agencies.

5. The representative of the City’s Office of Emergency Management, Sam Benson, testified on April 15, 2004 that the federal National Contingency Plan was put into effect in Lower Manhattan following 9/11. It was reported, however, that the full deployment of personnel permissible under the plan adopted for Lower Manhattan did not occur. Is this true? If so, why didn’t the EPA deploy sector managers (including on-scene coordinators) to Lower Manhattan as deployed at the Pentagon? Who made this decision?

6. According to the EPA Inspector General’s August 2003 “Evaluation Report”, City officials stated on both September 30 and October 9* 2001 that they would not be requesting EPA’s assistance with regard to residential sampling, reoccupation, and clean-up. The EPA Report d S- AG’/ l;g/

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