EPA coordination emails regarding air quality, March 28, 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

during the week of April 8. We still need to speak to some of the Real Estate organizations and I asked OEM to help in setting those meetings. I’m not clear if OEM was gong to help although they indicated they could. However, to be safe, maybe we should reach out ourselves with help of the Public Outreach group (Laurel Blatchford). Laurel left the meeting early before I could get to speak to her. We already have a meeting scheduled with REBY for next Thursday.

All group members were impressed with our progress especially EPA who asked me to thank Diana and Bob personally for all that DEP has done.

Staff members are meeting today, Thursday 28, with FEMA and the Landmark Preservation people to go over cleanup procedures. Landmark wants to be clear in their minds that cleanup procedures will not be damaging to buildings (i.e., using acid washes - which we don’t).

DOH approached me today asking for DEP’s comment on the action levels being proposed for cleanup of asbestos. We have not seen the proposed action levels and DOH will e-mail me with the particulars. I will share with the technical staff as well as have the technical staff listen in to Monday’s conference call of the Chemicals of Concern Working Group. DOH believes that EPA is going down the road of abating lots of apartments downtown. I gather from my conversation that they are well below current standards. More to follow as we get the data, however, we do need to decide what our comments should be, if any.

I also spoke to OEM and Jim Miller regarding the Hotline having a list of buildings that presently need to be cleaned. I told them that we would prefer that the Hotline call us with any inquiries of same because the list is very fluid. We are constantly adding and deleting as information becomes available to us. In addition, cleanup by owners has occurred without our knowledge. Giving out outdated or the wrong information is the worst that can happen. We would like to be as prudent as possible.

DEP was asked by EPA if we have any ambient air data on asbestos from any project or study that we have done or know about in the past. They would like this information to establish background levels. I told them we would check.

EPA is waiting for the City to identify a building or buildings that could be used for its Pilot cleanup project. Jim Miller contacted OEM who reported that they should have something by the end of today.

The EPA Working Group also had some discussion of the need for peer review of the process. The discussion went back and forth on the pros and cons. No decision was one way or the other.

OSHA also distributed sampling information (not for public release) regarding workers working in the WTC area. All samples, bulk and air, for asbestos were non detect.

That’s the major points as of now. I’m sure more will be coming.

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