NYC-WTC_000195741

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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Christine Todd Whitman’s “Safe” Assurance

EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman misled the public when she announced to New Yorkers, shortly after the September 11* terrorist attacks, that their . .air is safe to breathe,” and that they “.. .need not be concerned about environmental issues as they return to their homes and workplaces,” as the EPA did not have the proper information to make such assurances. Ms. Whitman’s "safe" statement was first made in written form on September 18, 2001 ’ (though she had been quoted as early as September 14,200 P), before there was a single test of indoor air quality conducted by any governmental entity.

In response to criticism on this point, the EPA countered that Ms. Whitman’s statement was made on the basis of outdoor air tests only. [It should be noted that the j/PA had nnt even intended to do te.sting of outdoor air in recidential area-S until thft Ground 7ern PUeted Dffirials Ta.sk Force (GZTF) requested that it do so in a memo dated September 21, 2001, in which it also requested indoor air testing.^] On January 13, 2002, an EPA Region II spokesperson stated, “That’s [indoor air testing] not our job and we have no policies or procedures for doing that type of testing.”^ On January 17, EPA Region II issued a statement saying, “.. .EPA has lead [sic] the effort to monitor die outdoor environment while the city of New York has taken the lead regarding the reoccupancy of buildings”^ thereby denying any responsibility for indoor air. EPA Region II Administrator Jane Kenny, took this "outdoor only" defense even fiirther when she stated to a U.S. Senate panel,".. .the statement that was made, was basically about walking around in Lower Manhattan."® In any case, indoor air quality data did not even exist at the time of Ms. Whitman’s September 18 statement.

To date there have only been two small rounds nf gnvemmpntally pnndnrtpfi.nr commissioned tests of indoor air quality in Lower Manhattan post 9/11. Neither can be used as evidence to support the statement that indoor air is “safe.” The first study, commissioned by the Ground Zero Elected Officials Task Force (GZTF) on September 18,2001 found elevated levels of hazardous materials in a number of apartments that had

' EPA Press Release, “Whitman Details Ongoing Agency Efforts to Monitor Disaster Sites, Contribute to Cleanup Effort,” September 18*, 2001. Ms Whitman’s full statement is as follows: “We are very encouraged that the results for our monitoring air quality and drinking water conditions in both New York and near the Pentagon show that the public in these areas is not being exposed to excessive levels of asbestos or other harmful substances. Given the scope of the tragedy from last week, I am glad to reassure the people of New York and Washington, DC, that their air is safe to breath[sic] and their water is safe to drink.” This sentiment has been echoed repeatedly by EPA spokespeople and other governmental agencies, and, to this day, has been used as the definitive government comment on Lower Manhattan air quality post- 9/11. Two days later, Ms. Whitman added in a press release, “New Yorkers. . .need not be concerned about environmental issues as they return to their homes and workplaces.” (September 21,2001). ’ Ferraro, Susan, “EPA Chief Says Water, Air are Safe,” New York Daily News, September 14,2001. ’ Ground Zero Elected Officials Task Force (Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Chair) “Memorandum #4,” September 21,2001. * Schneider, Andrew, “NY Officials Underestimate Danger,” St. Louis Post Dispatch, January 13,2002. ’ EPA Region II Press Release, “EPA Statement,” January 17,2002. ® Jane Kenny (EPA Region II Administrator), “Testimony before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, and Climate Change,” February 11, 2002.

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