In the days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, New York City and federal agencies focused on the most immediate toxic hazard: the air, still hazy with dust and smoke. A week later, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency reassured New Yorkers that the air was safe to breathe, though there wasn’t sufficient data to justify the claim. More.
Toxic Dust Was Everywhere After 9/11. Little Was Done for Months.
9/11 health research program will be fully funded, officials say
More than $13 million in federal funding for 9/11 health studies initially feared lost will remain intact, federal officials have confirmed to Newsday. More.
Mesothelioma Cases Rising Among Those Exposed at Ground Zero
According to new CDC data and researchers who track 9/11 survivors’ long-term illnesses, mesothelioma is disproportionately being diagnosed among those who have enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program that was established in the aftermath of the September 11th terror attacks. More.
NYC’s top investigative agency kicks off probe into what local officials knew about toxic dust after 9/11
New York City’s top investigative agency has tapped outside lawyers to probe what previous mayoral administrations knew about the toxic dust at Ground Zero and what if anything they did about it. More.
The September 11 cancer wave ahead
After the collapse came the dust. It billowed across Lower Manhattan in the wake of the 2001 World Trade Center terror attacks, turning people into ghosts as they trudged to safety. It blew into buildings through broken windows and air intakes, settling into carpets, curtains and upholstery and leaving a fine powder on surfaces. More.
Lawmakers seek federal help as 9/11 pension costs soar
New legislation would authorize more than $5.9 billion to reimburse eligible public employee retirement systems for costs of death and disability benefits that have resulted from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center. More.
‘Messy, Difficult’: Building a User-Friendly Portal for New York’s 9/11 Documents
Henry Williams read the news of the release of long-suppressed 9/11 city documents last week with curiosity, but he soon found a confusing portal without any context or guide. A project manager by day, he said he was always “interested in messy, difficult data.” Here, he found plenty. More.
Bipartisan bill seeks FEMA reimbursement for 9/11 first responder pensions
The bipartisan measure would seek an estimated $3.1 billion from FEMA for pension payments tied to 9/11-related deaths and disabilities among firefighters, police officers and other public employees. More.