NYC officials release unseen 9/11 documents about air quality following the attacks
New York City officials released thousands of previously unseen documents questioning the air quality at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks.
The city launched its public online portal Tuesday with more than 170,000 documents from across government agencies dealing with post-9/11 air quality and health risks.
The documents provide more evidence that concerns about toxic air persisted for months after the attacks. Meanwhile, officials assured the public the air at the time was safe.
The files released Tuesday include 68 boxes of documents that were found last year, the Harding Memo and records concerning World Trade Center 7.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched the release at a news conference with other city officials and 9/11 health advocates, including Jon Stewart.
"The very least our city owes the families, survivors and first responders whose lives were forever changed by the September 11th attacks is transparency and accountability," Mamdani said. "For too long, New Yorkers have had to fight for access to records that should have been available to them in the first place. This portal is part of our administration's enduring commitment to honor those we lost, care for those living with lasting health consequences and give thousands of New Yorkers the answer they've been asking for."
The air quality reports, contamination records and correspondence among city staff show health officials were still finding evidence of asbestos at least 10 months later. That's long after officials repeatedly assured New Yorkers that the air around Ground Zero was safe to breathe.
"There was poison in the air and on the ground and in the window sills and in your air conditioners and covering your pets and your clothes, and it stayed there for months. Everyone knew. And now it's very clear that the city knew as well," Stewart said.
The mayor also announced the settlement of two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch, ending a multiyear legal battle over the records.
The Harding Memo is a notable document released after it surfaced earlier this year. The document was written just weeks after the attacks and discussed the possibility of lawsuits from people who could claim they were exposed to toxic air.
New York Rep. Jerry Nadler said government officials under former Mayor Rudy Giuliani predicted thousands of New Yorkers would face devastating health effects, according to the memo.
"The failure of government officials to share this information with the public and adequately respond to the dangers has had devastating and in too many cases fatal consequences," he said.
The records also include multiple reports documenting asbestos around the area. Some of them appear to show levels below limits set by environmental and worker protection agencies. Others indicate higher levels, but many don't include a written analysis explaining the results.
More documents are expected to be added on a rolling basis.
Mamdani said dedicated personnel will be hired to help New Yorkers for whom these documents can serve as proof of presence in the exposure zone needed to obtain assistance from the victim compensation fund.
