NYC-WTC_000230683

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

daily NEWS, SUNDAY, OCTOBER?, 2001

Asbestos found in offices By MAKI BECKER the key in the cleanup,’ Chmie- mental Protection Agency found OAlir NEWS STAFF WRITER | jnski said. asbestos in dust samples taken Many who live and work in lower Manhattan have Very little asbestos was found inside Shiyvesant High School been worried about what’s in the air outside, “'^‘side buildings be­ last week, though air samples cause of the rain over the last were free of airborne asbestos, But a Virginia-based engineer­ the most dangerous form. cancer. three weeks washing away the ing firm hired to test asbestos HP Environmental, which was levels around the collapsed There’s much debate over dust, Chmielinski said. World Trade Center has found whether the smaller particles . inside the buildings there hired by a contractor helping that a danger may lurk in the are hazardous to health. ® of dry powder,* the engi- with the Trade Center cleanup dust that found its way inside P I believe that the and which also tested for asbes­ apartments and offices. uomroi IS vnai cleanup, based on those find- tos after the 1993 bombing of Tests conducted over the last But Piotr Chmielinski, one of jngs, needs to be carried out the twin towers, is urging feder- two weeks by HP Environmen­ the principals at HP Environ- more carefully.” ..................... al and city officials to make sure tal found very tiny particles of as­ mental, has two suggestions for Echoing previous statements labs analyzing the asbestos lev­ bestos inside some office and dealing with dust accumulated by federal officials, City Health els are checking for particles of ___ apartment buildings. inside homes and offices: Wipe Commissioner Neal Cohen said all sizes. Asbestos in its more common­ surfaces with a wet cloth or mop yesterday at a news briefing that He said it is possible labs were ly found form — hair-shaped and clean floors with a vacuum recent tests have indicated as- missing the smallest pieces of as­ strands that can lodge inside the cleaner equipped with special fil- bestos levels are within safe lim- bestos in the samples, leading to lungs when inhaled — leads to ters. its in lower Manhattan. an inaccurate estimate of the respiratory ailments and even “Controlling the substance is However, the federal Environ- contamination.

CITY_21MC100_011830830

NYC-WTC_000230683