EPA Scientist, Cate Jenkins, PhD.

Cate Jenkins, PhD., EPA, Environmental Scientist, Waste Identification Branch Hazardous Waste Identification Division. Office of Solid Waste

(7/28/04) 7-15-04 Jenkins, PHD, EPA, NYC data concealed by EPA and NYC after 9/11, subsequently altered/selectively deleted by NYC :

The EPA Office of the Inspector General (IG) 8/21/03 report found the following:

"In regard to the monitoring data, we found no evidence that EPA attempted to conceal data results from the public. …" [p. 9, EPA IG report] "Preliminary results of EPA’s sampling activities indicate no or very low levels of asbestos. … " [p. 17, EPA IG report]

EPA is relying on these findings to defend itself from litigation …The evidence provided herein now proves that both EPA and NYC deliberately concealed, altered, falsified, and deleted data showing
asbestos levels that both EPA and NYC declared unsafe. …

(9/10/03) 9-3-03 Jenkins, PhD, EPA Memo: EPA/NYCDEP CleanUp Of WTC at 114 Liberty Street. Read this right away!

(7/7/03) Cate Jenkins, PhD, EPA, "A Documentary Basis for Litigation"extensive report, addressed to the EPA Inspector General, should also be useful to anyone wishing to document who said what and when, and what documents and guidance were released by EPA and other officials at certain times, the data developed to date on World Trade Center fallout, and contemporaneous press stories. The report is encyclopedic and should be a useful resource. Most of the cited documents still have active web sites. Click for the intro or the index.

(3/17/03) 2/21/03 Cate Jenkins, PhD., EPA, releases memo Subject: Missing/Omitted Studies from EPA Draft Asbestos Risk Assessment Relevant to: 1. Mesothelial and lung tissue burden in mesothelioma cases 2. Carcinogenicity of chrysotile asbestos. The draft EPA IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) asbestos re-assessment may be found at the following web site (note that the FR notice gave the wrong web address): http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/risk/asbestos/method.htm.

...these are the most important 2 studies that refute EPA's contention that the very small asbestos fibers are harmless.

1. Y. Suzuki and R. Yuen (2001) [Mount Sinai School of Medicine] Asbestos tissue burden study on human malignant mesothelioma. Industrial Health, 39, 150-160.
2. Y. Suzuki and R. Yuen (2002) [Mount Sinai School of Medicine] Asbestos fibers contributing to the induction of human malignant mesothelioma. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, in press. As you may be aware, EPA is claiming that asbestos fibers shorter than 5 microns in length are safe and harmless. EPA's testing of air in apartments in NYC, contaminated by asbestos after the WTC collapse, only looked for these longer fibers. EPA ignored all the shorter fibers that it found. EPA is assuming that the very small fibers are cleared from the body because they are small enough to be engulfed by macrophages, and thus do not remain long enough to cause cancer. However, these two new studies contradict this hypothesis, There are other studies as well which contradict EPA's hypothesis. I will be compiling the abstracts and sending them out later next week. You may be aware that the ATSDR held a conference in NYC last week bringing together a very limited, select number of researchers who are working on this controversial "small fiber" issue. We do not know whether or not the ATSDR is intending to consider all the available evidence on small fibers, or apply the precautionary principle and assume that the small fibers have carcinogenic effects until absolutely proven to be harmless.

10-22-02 Jenkins, PhD, EPA, COMMENTS TERA SEPTEMBER 2002 PEER REVIEW DRAFT

8-29-02 Jenkins, PhD. EPA Stuyvesant High School Testing

7-3-02 Jenkins, PhD. EPA Updated list -- Labs for EPA’s ULTRASONICATION TEST for carpets/ EPA will try to reverse early studies showing HEPA vacuums ineffective

6-9-02 Jenkins Testing Carpet, The Asbestos Reservoir The memo explains EPA's ultrasonication test for carpet and other woven fabrics, how to get the test (you don't need to hire a consultant) and how to interpret the results, in terms of health risks.
The memo also discusses one apartment buildings' experience with the ultrasonication carpet test, finding high levels, even though this apartment was 8 blocks north of Ground Zero.
The memo also discusses the widely different health risk levels developed by Region1 for the Brookfield school system and by Region 2 for fallout from the WTC.

4-30-02 IMPORTANT MEMO FROM EPA Cate Jenkins, PhD.: TEM vs. PLM METHODS FOR ASBESTOS DUSTS - 4/30/02 with data added 5-7-02 TEM found over 1% asbestos, but PLM tests showed NONE. EPA PLM tests of WTC fallout dust may have underestimated area of asbestos contamination EPA Region 2 knew TEM was required and needed, had it after the WTC collapse for their own building, used it in past, but refused to use it for the rest of NYC. Why EPA used TEM but allowed DEP to use PLM

3-29-02 Jenkins, PhD. EPA Dioxin contamination of offices after WTC collapse and transformer fire: Suggested criteria for cleanup levels

3-11-02 Jenkins, PhD., EPA, 3-11-02 Status of air and dust asbestos testing after WTC collapse READ THIS NOW

2-11-02 IMPORTANT MEMO FROM EPA Cate Jenkins, PhD.: 2-11-02 Draft COMPARISON OF THE TEST METHOD SENSITIVITIES USED BY EPA AND THE LEVELS RELATED TO HEALTH RISKS FOR KEY TOXIC SUBSTANCES RELATED TO THE COLLAPSE OF WORLD TRADE CENTER

2-10-02 Cate Jenkins, Ph.D., EPA: 2-10-02 "NYC DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH MISREPRESENTATIONS"

1-11-02 Cate Jenkins, PhD., EPA, 1-11-02 Memo on PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT:
1. Asbestos in Manhattan compared to Libby Superfund site
2. Why cleanup of WTC contamination is ineffective to date
3. Advantages of cleanup under Superfund statute
4. Summary risk assessment for WTC fallout

12-19-01 Cate Jenkins, PhD., EPA, Memo 12-19-01 SUBJECT:Wipe sampling for asbestos in Lower Manhattan
*** Projection of airborne levels from settled WTC dusts
*** Estimation of increased cancer risks based on various WTC dust exposure scenarios "The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) gave impossible and unsafe instructions to owners of buildings. Furthermore, the instructions violated the standards set by the federal EPA."

12-7-01 Adequacy of asbestos removal from carpets using dry-type HEPA vacuum cleaners

12-3-01 Cate Jenkins, PhD., EPA, Memo 12-3-01 SUBJECT: WORD TRADE CENTER ASBESTOS
1. HISTORY, including recent official EPA statements compared to EPA’s established scientific policies and regulatory precedents on asbestos.
2. NEED FOR SAFE CLEANUP METHODS to protect citizens by utilizing the strict, science based EPA national standards for asbestos cleanup and abatement.

(10/16/03) 11-15-01 Cate Jenkins, PhD., EPA, memo on EPA National Standards vs.
New York City Guidelines, Cleanup of Dusts from World Trade Center