WTC debris removal announcement, EPA and City, 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Chapin, Diana To: [email protected]

EPA, working with the City of New York, announced actions to reduce potential risks posed by World Trade Center debris. Residual debris will be removed from' rooftops and facades, and at least one unoccupied building will be cleaned using a variety of- methods; indoor air pollutant benchmarks will be established; and an indoor air study performed in December will be augmented. FEMA will funnel millions of dollars to implement these actions. Plans are also underway to collect data from all sources to make it easily understood. The agencies are also looking for ways to improve outreach and communications efforts.

"Actions speak louder than words and these actions will help answer questions about air quality,"said Jane Kenny, EPA Regional Administrator. "We have been working with the City to resolve the public's health concerns. FEMA has assured us that the money is there to get the job started."

"Mayor Bloomberg quote?"

Inspectors from the City and EPA have already conducted a survey of rooftops and facades and has identified some that are still dirty with debris.EPA, working with the City, plans to remove this debris to further reduce any potential risk.

The New York City Department of Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry are planning follow up work on the indoor air study conducted in December on some residences in lower Manhattan. This followup will include monitoring and continued cleaning to remove dust from apartments where it was identified.

EPA will clean at least one unoccupied building not yet identified but close to the recovery site. EPA/ATSDR will provide the City with the prototype results and recommended cleaning processes. This field work would help assess cleanup techniques and, together with benchmarks currently being developed by EPA for indoors, will give a basis on which to evaluate conditions in other buildings in lower Manhattan.

For more information on air quality in lower Mahattan, call the city's hotline at 212-XXXXXX or go to www.epa.gov; www. , www. etc.

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