Memo on EPA management and Lower Manhattan cleanup, Nov 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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Maldonado, Jane From: Avaltroni, Robert Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 5:18 PM To: Maldonado, Jane Subject: EPA issues Importance; High

As discussed, I am attempting to walk a fine line in dealing with EPA concerning the Lower Manhattan cleanup. EPA consistently acquiesces to any unsubstantiated whim that could potentially stretch this program out indefinitely at substantial cost. In essence, they are very capable of turning a reassurance effort into a typical long-term "project."

This is clearly a result of poor management virtually incapable of making constructive decisions and a public relations effort that is incompetent at best. In an effort to prevent this program from getting completely off track, at my request. Brad Gair has scheduled a meeting for Thursday, 9/14, at EPA to go over the original program matrix and status of each element. I have had significant dialogue with Brad and will be taking a low key position so as not to create problems that will impair your ability to close on agency agreements nearing conclusion.

Let me now touch on some of the issues we are trying to get through.

Proposed EPA Advertisement/Cleanup Campaign

Without consultation, EPA has sought MTA’s assistance with regard to putting up posters on trains and buses promoting the cleanup program. (Brad found this out through a MTA source.) Needless to say, this is ludicrous from several perspectives. We are trying to bring people back to our City who will be greeted by posters promoting a cleanup program. It also flies in the face of our original agreement with Jane and Kathy to keep things below the radar screen. The good news is that by inadvertently finding out about their intent. Brad will be able to kill this before it sees the light of day.

HVAC Cleanup

We have been in an ongoing cordial debate with respect to assessments of HVAC systems in approximately 200 buildings. It is my belief that the EPA coordinators in the field are committing to full-scale HVAC cleanups that are in most cases unnecessary. We are talking about spending in the area of $500K - $1M per cleanup. We don’t have to do the math to see the outrageous costs linked to such an effort. We have sought an independent consultant who walked through a building that had been earmarked for full cleanup. The independent consultant said the building was not a candidate for full cleanup.

EPA met with their consultant this past Tuesday who painted a gloomy picture suggesting that in their opinion a great number of buildings will require full cleanups. We differ with this assessment and I have suggested off the record to Brad Gair that he request an independent source specializing in HVAC systems be brought in prior to any wide scale initiative. (We would take money from existing funds earmarked for cleanup to pay such an independent consultant.)

Expanding Cleanup to Commercial Buildings and Small Businesses

8/5/2003

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