9/11 Victim's Dad Skewers Congress

(CBS/AP)  The father of a police detective who died after breathing in dust from ground zero wreckage told lawmakers Friday that the government has spent too much time studying the health problems that killed his son.

"We must make the first priority the treatment of the heroes to improve their heath and save their lives. The studies should be secondary," Joseph Zadroga, father of New York Police Department Detective James Zadroga, told a House subcommittee hearing near the World Trade Center.

Zadroga's voice broke with emotion as he recounted the day he found his son dead on his bedroom floor. James Zadroga died in January of respiratory disease attributed to ground zero exposure.

Public pressure has been growing for the government to deal with health problems blamed on the toxic dust at the site following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In February, Joseph Zadroga told CBSNews.com that the NYPD never acknowledged his son's condition until it was too late. "He felt the loss not only from being sick but by the treatment of the police department," Zadroga said. "He felt abandoned."

A hospital study released this week concluded that nearly 70 percent of ground zero workers suffered lung problems, and many of them would likely be sick for the rest of their lives.

Dr. Robin Herbert, co-director of the Mount Sinai Medical Center program monitoring afflicted workers, told lawmakers that new patients are still arriving at her hospital to be treated for 9/11-related illnesses — and thousands will likely need lifelong care.

Meanwhile, former Environmental Protection Agency chief Christine Todd Whitman said it was New York City's responsibility — not the EPA's — to force ground zero workers to wear protective gear because the agency did not have authority over the World Trade Center site.

Many working in the wreckage in lower Manhattan did not wear masks, and Whitman conceded in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" that there may have been confusion over the message.

"It's hard to know — when people hear what they want to hear and there's so much going on, that maybe they didn't make the distinction," she said in the interview to air Sunday.

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[ktorrent1]

I wanted to add in regards to the doctor in Tulsa that he has hypobaric and oxygen therapy also as part of his arsenal of tools on site. We can see if we can fly you in.

[ktorrent1]

I have a doctor outside of Tulsa, OK who says he would be willing to work with first responders who are dealing with heavy metal poisoning via use of a treatment that is used on kids with like mercury poisoning. He believes it will work in this situation. If there is any first responder up there who needs help and has issues with this, please give me a post back. I'll do what I can to help.

[lyfizgood]

I could give a rat whose resposibility it was to tell whomever to wear the protective gear. No one is going to tell the truth about that any way. The gear was available and everyone could tell, I beleive, they should be using it. I wasn't there. They used it or they didn't use it. Any cover up that resulted in any of these folks not using the gear however, and there is proof, someone needs to be brought to justice. If Bush is involved, he needs to be brought to justice as well. But please, someone present some proof and proceed with due process rather than pointless accusation.

But bottom line, these people gave their all and need to be taken care of! Health care is costly. And if you are debilitated, you don't have the funds for it, let alone any way to support yourself. I have been there, so I do know what I am talking about in that case. The pencil pushers need to stop *** around with these people's lives and start giving their lives back to them to the best degree our country can.

[wmyers4u]

The Bush administration had the EPA change reports on air quality. Therefore the Bush administration is partly to blame for these deaths. Why is noone holding the Bush administration accountable for this. They are after all, guilty of murder of neglegent homicide.

When is someone going to stand up and hold the people in the Bush administration and the EPA accountable. They should be in jail, you know it and I know it.

[nothappyatall]

The first order of the day is;

NEVER under ANY circumstances believe anything the city, state, or Federal Govt TELL you about anything- all have proven time and again that they are liars, crooks, cheats, power hungry morons who care only for how much cash they can line their bank accts with.

[nothappyatall]

"... Christine Todd Whitman said it was New York City's responsibility %u2014 not the EPA's %u2014 to force ground zero workers to wear protective gear because the agency did not have authority over the World Trade Center site."

Oh? isn't this the SAME EPA that can shut down a factory or plant and fine them into bankruptcy for violations or the clean air, clear water act to name just two? The SAME EPA that finds a teaspoon of oil on the ground in your driveway can order the ground dug up and disposed of as "hazardoud waste" and force the owner to pay tens of thousands for that?
And they make this claim they couldn't do anything?? BS!!!

As far as what the EPA told people about the air being "safe" despite clouds of dust, smoke etc- all I can say is, and you BELIEVED them?? another crooked money grubbing power hungry Govt agency and you BELIEVED what they TELL YOU?

Second hand cig smoke waifting across the hotel lobby we all know kills people, yet all this dust, smoke etc was ok?
People who did use respirators for a while reported they were bulky, uncomfortable and the filters kept clogging up so they took them off, let me see if I have this right- the filters kept CLOGGING UP so they ditched the masks?? what were people thinking?? if the filters were clogging up what on earth do you think was happening to your LUNGS?????

[wowest]

Numerous websites indicate that FEMA, under orders from the White House, suppressed information about the dangers of the dust cloud and emphasized, incorrectly, that the air was safe, causing thousands of people to be exposed, unnecessarily, to the Americium and asbestos toxins in the air.

[shoestore61]

Not only did they lie about the conditions at ground zero...I was there as a New York Army National Guardsmen...they gave me a medal for my service and then they left me hanging with thousands of dollars of medical bills! The tragedy didn't end when the dust settled...many of us still suffer from medical conditions that NO ONE, federal or state are willing to take care of!

[notbuynit]

There was no confusing the message.

THE GOVERNMENT TOLD THE WORLD, THE AIR AND WATER IS SAFE!.........ANY 8th GRADER COULD PROBABLY TELL YOU THAT WAS ABSURD.

SMOKE...WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND, DUST....ANYTHING FROM SILICA, CONCRETE, FIBERGLASS, MYRIADS OF PLASTICS/PETROLEUMS, HEAVY METALS, GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE, NOT TO MENTION ASBESTOS. (SILICA IS ALL IT TAKES TO DAMAGE YOUR LUNGS FOREVER). IT WAS DEAD OBVIOUS THAT THE WHOLE AREA WAS A COCKTAIL OF TOXIC *!%*! (NO NEED FOR THEM TO CENSOR, I DID IT MYSELF).

THEY LIED! THEY ALWAYS DO.

[tibu987]

The latest victims of 9/11 with respiratory problems should be taken care of by the government as soon as possible. So much money is spent foolishly each day by the government that certainly there must be enough to care for these victims who gave their all when it was needed.
Help them now.