Panel agenda for Air Quality After 9/11 conference, March 2004

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

“If the allegations contained in the Inspector General’s report are true, as they appear to be, then the conduct of this White House with regard to this issue was GALLING AND BEYOND COMPREHENSION.

“As we were told at our hearing on February 11, 2002, EPA’s communications were relied upon by workers to decide whether or not to go back to their offices and job sites and by residents to decide whether or not to move back into their homes.

“We particularly recall the plight of parents of school children that were struggling with the question of whether to send their kids back to schools in the area of Ground Zero.

“For EPA to have provided anything but their best professional advice to those parents is INEXCUSABLE; for the White House to have EDITED OUT THAT ADVICE - including information regarding the HEIGHTENED RISKS that the air pollution might pose for young children - is nothing but MALFEASANCE.”

The Committees will solicit additional testimony regarding these issues at today’s hearing.

11. EPA/NYCDEP/PryCDOH Response to Interior Air Quality After 9/11

When the towers of the World Trade Center collapsed, they created a toxic dust storm that

engulfed residences, schools, offices and other work places in the surrounding area. The

pressure generated by the collapse forced heavy dust and gases into the windows, doors.

ventilation systems and other open spaces of buildings many blocks away. The floors, walls.

furniture and other surfaces of the apartments, offices, school rooms, stores and restaurants

contained in these buildings were covered with tons of powdery dust, sometimes inches thick.

As described earlier in this report, the United States Geological Survey and others have

determined that the dust and gases in the WTC plume contained, “elevated levels of asbestos and

many other pollutants including heavy metals, alumimun, chromium, antimony molybdenum and

barium”, all capable of undermining human health. However, in counterpoint to these findings.

11

NYC-WTC_000161646