Fresh Kills vehicle decontamination policy discussion, January 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Gilsenan, Michael From: Prero, Judah [NYCDEP/QUEENS/JUDAHP] Sent: Wednesday, January 30,2002 4:28 PM To: Gilsenan, Michael Subject: FW: Cars at Fresh Kills

---- Original Message---- From: Prero, Judah Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 4:16 PM To: Hoffer, Mark Cc: Gilsenan, Michael Subject: FW: Cars at Fresh Kills

We need to respond ASAP. ---- Original Message---- From: Levi, Steven [mailto:[email protected] ] Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 4:19 PM To: Taussig, Gabriel; 'Prero, Judah' Cc: 'Wilfredo Lopez (E-mail)'; 'Martha Robinson (E-mail)' Subject: RE: Cars at Fresh Kills

The level of health protection that is applied to the cars at Freshkills must be consistent with the advice we are giving to the public who live in the area AND to the city workers who are using the vehicles affected by 9-11 WTC debris. If there is a policy disagreement between agencies, it must be RESOLVED before we make statements in Gabe’s federal case. Did DEP recommend decon on the City emergency vehicles? please tell me when and how this was made? were recommendations not followed? did DEP comment on DOH's public health advisory on its web site? did DEP issue contrary advice? regarding the cars at Freshkills - almost all the operable cars that I saw in the parking lots had windows that were intact, so that there was very little debris inside the vehicles. Most of the vehicles with broken windows will be scrapped by, insurance companies that paid claims according to the rep from NCIB. It seems to me that very few cars that would even apply to DEP's message. Has DEP been to Freshkills to view the cars? ---- Original Message---- From: Taussig, Gabriel Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 3:46 PM To: 'Prero, Judah' Cc: Wilfredo Lopez (E-mail); Martha Robinson (E-mail) Subject: RE: Cars at Fresh Kills

It was my understanding based upon statements made in the conference call I had with Mark Hoffer and your technical people that DEP's only comment involved the requirement that tarps be placed on vehicles being removed. DOH agreed and incorporated that into its protocol. DOH sent the final version of the protocol to Sanitation today so that it can be implemented. We need to have the entire protocol in place for our court appearance on Monday. The question of cleaning the vehicles while still at Fresh Kills was considered at several multi-agency meetings chaired by OEM. It was determined that it was neither feasible nor necessary. There are no facilities for doing this at Fresh Kills and DOH concluded that it was not necessary. As for the insurance industry, a representative of an umbrella group for the insurance industry attended one of the inter-agency meetings 1

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