We encourage visitors to go through the above
PULL-DOWN menu and explore to find out important information (such as our EXPERTS and EPA test results under GOV.Agencies-> EPA Documents).

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(5/20/03) NY Post 5-17-03-War On WTC $$$ Benefits By Kenneth Lovett and Stephanie Gaskell

(4/14/03) Maggie Clarke, Ph.D., QEP, Monona Rossol, MS., M.F.A., Uday Singh, IH, Comments on
Exposure and Human Health Evaluation of Airborne Pollution from the World Trade Center Disastermments Report from EPA (NCEA). READ THIS NOW!!!

(4/3/03) St. Louis Dispatch 12-31-02 White House Budget Office Thwarts EPA warning On Asbestos by Andrew Schneider

(4/3/03) St. Louis Dispatch 1-13-03 WTC attack Asbestos Health Threat by Andrew Schneider

(4/3/03) St. Louis Dispatch 1-13-03 Letters To The Editor

(4/3/03) St. LouisDispatch 1-13-03 Editorials On Asbestos

(4/3/03) Rutland Herald 4-2-03-White House Halted Alarm On Asbestos by Andrew Schneider

(4/2/03) Congressman Nadler-3-13-03 Blasts EPA on Firefighter Snub - Demands Answers

(4/2/03) Letter from Neighborhood Environmental Watch

Mr. Eliot Spitzer, Attorney General 1/6/03
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224-0341

RE: Compel EPA Compliance with National Contingency Plan, CERCLA, and AHERA,
etc. as provided by the Administrative Proceedure Act

Dear Attorney General Spitzer:

Why has your office done so little to protect residents, workers, and students exposed to asbestos, mercury, cadmium, and PCBs (among numerous other substances) resulting from the WTC disaster in Lower Manhattan? Since 9/11/01 the EPA has never comprehensively tested indoor and exterior environments, provided accurate testing results to the public, disseminated health hazard information, or otherwise a created a public record and transparent process as provided by federal statutes. The EPA's risk assessment criteria and methodologies used in New York City do not conform to those mandated by CERCLA, placing New Yorkers at greater risk to developing carcinogenic diseases.

Since the appearance of Andrew Schneider's investigative article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of 12/27/02, by extrapolation one many assume that the EPA has avoided acting appropriately to protect New Yorker’s health, either for reasons of cost containment by the OMB or simply to sustain investment value of real estate and corporate interests. As Congressman Nadler has testified, however, by such irresponsible actions, city, state and federal administrations are supporting a liability situation in the future which could have grave economic consequences. See the NY Times article by Randal C. Archibold, 1/4/03, City Request Stalls Insurance for 9/11 Cleanup, in which he discusses future liability claims filed by residents and others exposed to hazmats as a result of deceptive information and inadequate protection of public health.

The EPA could be compelled to proceed with actions unlawfully withheld and unreasonably delayed according to the Administrative Procedure Act to comprehensively remediate the entire area affected by the WTC collapse, subsequent fires, and decontstruction at Ground Zero. Numerous residents, including ourselves are still displaced and will remain so even after the EPA "cleans" residential buildings because the EPA WTC dust removal does not comply with the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) under the Clean Air Act, nor CERCLA, or the NCP and on advice of our physicians. See letter below to Ms. Jane M. Kenny, Region II Administrator July 28, 2002 discussing inadequacies of EPA scope of work and protocols, which does not provide systematic and compulsory abatement for interiors of all affected buildings. Voluntary abatement is synonymous with no abatement, since cross and recontamination will result and entire buildings are not evacuated and placed under negative pressure.

Not one agency, in the city, state, or federal administration has taken responsibility to force the EPA to act according to the NCP, etc., consequently numerous residents, workers, and students have no other alternative other than relocation in order to protect their health. Obviously, this also has long term negative consequences for the region's economy. Congressman Nadler, and Senators Clinton and Schumer have been actively involved to ameliorate this situation; your agency should be representing the public health interests

When is your office going to represent and protect residents, workers, and students affected by the inadequate remediation of hazmats by the EPA? We and the other residents signing this letter are unable to return to Lower Manhattan until all contaminants have been systematically and comprehensively removed. Why are New Yorkers being subjected to a higher risk assessment than applied elsewhere in the United States? In your own statement of February 26, 2001 regarding the EPA's remedy for PCB contamination of the Hudson River, you acknowledge the danger of PCB exposure. Yet we have data confirming the levels of PCs following 9/11/01:

Albany St & West St (WTC) -- 1400 ppm
Battery Pk & 2nd Pl -- 1600 ppm
North End & Park Pl -- 1100 ppm
Park Place & West Broadway -- 159 ppm

These levels contrast sharply with the levels of only 562 to 753 nanograms per gram (ng/g) (equivalent to parts per billion) found in the Lioy, et al. study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, VOLUME 110 , NUMBER 7, July 2002, available at: http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov

Thank you for your attention to these questions; we appreciate your prompt response.

Very Truly,

Carla Breeze, Wayne Decker, et al. for Neighborhood Environmental Watch

cc. President George Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Fax: 202/456-2461
president@whitehouse.gov

The Honorable Jerrold Nadler
United States House of Representatives
2334 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3208
DC Fax: 202-225-6923
Jerrold.Nadler@mail.house.gov

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
United States Senate
476 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3203
DC Fax: 202-228-0282
senator@clinton.senate.gov

The Honorable Charles Schumer
United States Senate
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3201
DC Fax: 202-228-3027
senator@schumer.senate.gov

Gordon Johnson, Esq., Deputy Bureau Chief, Bureau of Environmental Protection
Office of Attorney General of New York State

Peter Lehner, Esq. Bureau Chief, Bureau of Environmental Protection
Office of Attorney General of New York State

(3/17/03) The Sacramento Bee 3-16-03 9/11 air assurances disputed A draft report says EPA erred in saying breathing at Ground Zero was safe. By Chris Bowman and Edie Lau.

(3/17/03) Cate Jenkins, PhD., EPA, releases memo 2/21/03 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.

(3/12/03) Status report from the EPA Inspector General's Office Jan. 27, 2003 regarding the WTC cleanup, etc. It faults EPA for many reasons, including using the AHERA level of 70 structures per square millimeter, which is not a health standard, but only a laboratory detection limit, not protective of health.

Coalition Meeting: End Childhood Lead Poisoning Pass Intro 101 ! 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
We seek your support for Intro 101, the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act and invite you to attend an important coalition strategy meeting to discuss the bill and how to push the City Council to better protect children from the dangers of lead poisoning by passing it. The meeting will be held in the Ground Floor Gallery at SEIU/ Local 1199's Headquarters- 310 West 43rd St. (between 8th and 9th Ave.).

Feds Won't Clean WTC Fallout From City Firehouses WINS Mar 12, 2003 11:49 pm US/Eastern (1010 WINS) (NEW YORK) Gritty dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers still lines the crevices, corners and cracks in lower Manhattan firehouses that federal environmental officials refuse to include in their cleanup program.

(3/12/03) Status report from the EPA Inspector General's Office Jan. 27, 2003 regarding the WTC cleanup, etc. It faults EPA for
many reasons, including using the AHERA level of 70 structures per square millimeter, which is not a health standard, but only a
laboratory detection limit, not protective of health.

(3/12/03) Daily News 3-12-03 Feds Brush Off FDNY Plea For Toxic Cleanup by Greg Gittrich

E.P.A. Takes Second Look at Many Superfund Sites by By MATT RICHTEL

NY TIMES: SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 30 — After bringing hundreds of polluted sites into compliance with regulatory standards in the last decade, the Environmental Protection Agency has learned that a contaminant found at many of those sites may be more harmful than previously thought. As a result, the agency is scrambling to re-evaluate its cleanup efforts.
In Silicon Valley, where the E.P.A. is focusing its initial checks, one house has already been fitted with new ventilation to prevent the buildup of gases from the residue of the contaminant, a powerful solvent used to clean electronic components, particularly computer microprocessors.
The contaminant, trichloroethylene, or TCE, has for years been known to cause cancer as well as respiratory, liver and lung damage. But in December, the environmental agency published new research concluding that it was 5 to 65 times as toxic as previously thought, with pregnant women and other sensitive populations being most at risk.

CONTACT: Mount Sinai Medical Center Press Office For Immediate Release: Monday, Jan. 27, 2003
212-241-9200

Mount Sinai to Announce Preliminary Findings of Medical Health
Screening Program for WTC-Site Responders
___________________

Analysis Reveals Over 50% of Responders Experience Pulmonary, ENT and/
or Mental Health Symptoms One Year Following NY Terrorist Attacks

New York ­ Today, Mount Sinai physicians announced official preliminary findings of a federal medical screening program developed
to evaluate health problems and hazardous exposures experienced by worker and volunteer emergency responders in New York in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Coordinated by the Mount Sinai-Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, with the support of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the program - The World Trade Center Worker & Volunteer Medical Screening Program - offers free and confidential medical screening examinations nationwide for exposed workers and volunteers - individuals whose tireless post-September 11 efforts in the rescue, recovery and cleanup work at Ground Zero and the Staten Island landfill exposed them to a wide range of environmental hazards and placed them at risk for resultant health problems.

An analysis of the physical examination findings, symptoms and hazardous exposures experienced by an initial group of 250 WTC Program participants documents that approximately half of the sample experienced persistent WTC-related pulmonary, ENT and/or mental health symptoms 10 months to one year following the New York terrorist attacks. These results indicate the need for medical treatment and a long-term monitoring program.

The findings were released by Dr. Kenneth Berns, CEO and President of Mount Sinai Medical Center and WTC Program Directors Drs. Stephen Levin and Robin Herbert at a major press conference at the New York City medical center with Congressional and federal agency and labor leaders in attendance.

“These preliminary results demonstrate the importance of the screening program, given the documented persistent effects on the physical and
psychological health of the WTC workers and volunteers,” said Dr. Levin, who also serves as Medical Director of the Mount Sinai-Irving
J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine. “The findings also point to the need for treatment resources and for short-and long-term follow-up. The earlier these WTC-related illnesses are detected and treated, the more likely that treatment will prevent long-term illness and disability,” he said.

Major findings of the preliminary analysis include: · 78% of participating emergency responders reported at least one WTC-related pulmonary symptom that first developed or worsened as a result of their WTC-related efforts; 46% of the sample still experienced at least one pulmonary symptom in the month before the screening examination.

· 88% reported at least one WTC-related ear, nose or throat (ENT) symptom; 52% of the sample still experienced at least one ENT symptom in the month before the screening examination.

· 52% reported mental health symptoms requiring further mental health evaluation; approximately 1 in 5 of the sample reported symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Most striking is the fact that a large proportion of this sample showed evidence (either symptoms or abnormal test results) of respiratory disease 10 months to one year after September 11, 2001. Seventy-three percent of the sample had either ENT symptoms or abnormal physical examination findings or both. Similarly, 57% of the
sample had either pulmonary symptoms or an abnormal pulmonary function test or both.

“The high prevalence of pulmonary, ENT and mental health symptoms among WTC-site workers some 10 months to a year following theSeptember 11 terrorist attacks is alarming,” said Dr. Robin Herbert, who also serves as Medical Co-Director of the Mount Sinai-IJ Selikoff Center. “Our preliminary findings clearly demonstrate the need for the
immediate screening of WTC-responders, as well as the provision of medical follow-up. Our findings are consistent with the findings from a number of related health studies, including government-funded analyses, all of which support the urgency of providing appropriate health services for these workers,” she added.

“Clearly, Mount Sinai's findings demonstrate the value of this NIOSH-funded screening program for identifying, characterizing, and addressing the chronic health problems experienced by some WTC workers," said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “The preliminary data also will help inform ongoing research and recommendations to protect emergency responders and others from hazards associated with catastrophic incidents.”

Data presented were analyzed on a random sample of 250 WTC Program participants selected from the first 500 WTC-responders to
participate. To date over 3,500 WTC-responders have been screened as part of the existing one-year program, scheduled to conclude in July
2003.

Only about one-third of the sample participants had received any prior medical care for their symptoms and conditions before participating in
the screening program, emphasizing the critical need for medical screening. To date, federal funding has been received to support a total of 9,000 medical screening examinations, one each for 9,000 of an estimated 40,000 plus responders that have been estimated to have participated in post September 11, 2001 efforts at Ground Zero.

Further follow-up of affected workers is also clearly indicated in order to monitor the chronic nature and severity of these health
problems and to assure that proper treatment is received.

“In the wake of the September 11 attacks, tens of thousands of brave men and women selflessly put themselves in harm’s way to help others. Providing appropriate screening and follow-up is the very least we can do for them,” said Dr. Philip Landrigan, Chair of the Mount Sinai Department of Community and Preventive Medicine. “Every one of us at
Mount Sinai are grateful to our leaders in New York and Washington whose efforts make this program possible.”

The twelve million dollars in initial federal funding was secured for the one year screening program through the efforts of Senator Hillary Clinton with the support of Senator Charles Schumer, New York’s Congressional leaders in the House, and labor leaders. The medical screening program was established after months of planning in July 2002 to provide free medical assessments, diagnostic referrals and occupational health education for workers and volunteers exposed to hazards of the World Trade Center site and/or Staten Island landfill in New York City in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 in the course of their efforts in rescue and recovery, restoration of essential services, clean up and/or debris removal.

WTC Program services are provided by a consortium of occupational medicine centers in the New York metropolitan region and nationwide under the auspices of Mount Sinai’s Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine working in conjunction with the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC). Workers and volunteers interested in obtaining more information or registering for the program are asked to call the WTC Program phone bank at 1-888-702-0630.

(1/22/03) NY TIMES Man With Few Trade Center Ties Traces His Asthma to 9/11 By KIRK JOHNSON:

Glenn H. Abatemarco got sick two weeks after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, and he has still not fully recovered his ability to breathe normally.

That in itself is not terribly unusual. A lot of people in Lower Manhattan who were exposed to the acrid, alkaline dust and smoke from ground zero developed the persistent pattern of lung irritation known as World Trade Center Cough. But Mr. Abatemarco does not fit the pattern, and therein lies a medical mystery.

First of all, he lives in Brooklyn, miles from ground zero, and works in Midtown Manhattan, where he is a vice president at a financial services firm. He had no intense exposure from the dust cloud from the towers' collapse and no chronic exposure afterward of the sort that downtown workers and residents faced as smoke from the smoldering fires swirled through the streets. ........

(1/16/03) Our beloved Congressman Nadler speaks at POGO [Project on Government Oversite] along with Senator Michael Crapo (R-ID) and Congressman Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), who held hearings on the blessed Office of the Ombudsman of the EPA by hearing the horrifying stories of the EPA and how the gallant and courageous Ombudsman saved their lives!!!!!

(1/16/02) CongressDaily 1-14-03 Bill would make EPA ombudsman independent By John Stanton: The EPA's ombudsman would get expanded power to conduct independent reviews of federal cleanup decisions in the Superfund program under legislation outlined today by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. The bill—whose sponsors include Florida GOP Reps. Jeff Miller and Michael Bilirakis, and Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.—would formally authorize the Office of Ombudsman and separate its funding and staffing decisions from EPA, making it an independent entity operating within the agency. Bilirakis and Crapo sponsored similar legislation during the 107th Congress. The Senate passed its bill, but the House measure failed.

(1/9/03) 2 recent letters from EPA to a citizen of NYC concerning fallout from the WTC collapse.

These letters show a very, very changed attitude by EPA. EPA used to officially tell people just to use the NYC DOH guidelines for cleaning.

The 12/23/02 letter states that ultrasonication extraction is a recognized method for evaluating asbestos in carpet. This is obvious since this is a published EPA method.

The 12/31/02 letter states that carpet and upholstered furniture may require replacement since cleaning may not be adequate.

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(01/10/03) Death on the Job, Slap on the Wrist David Barstow and Lowell Bergman NY Times: Despite thousands of injuries and nine deaths at plants owned by McWane, Inc., regulators have never taken a coordinated approach to end patterns of transgression.

ELMIRA, NY - After all the search warrants, witness interviews and forensic tests, a team of veteran prosecutors and investigators came to an overwhelming conclusion about the death of Frank Wagner. The industrial explosion that killed him, they agreed, was the result of reckless criminal conduct by his employer, McWane Inc., the Alabama conglomerate that owns a cast-iron foundry here in upstate New York.

"The evidence compels us to act," the prosecution team wrote in a confidential memorandum to the state attorney general, Dennis C. Vacco, in 1996. The team urged him to ask a grand jury to indict McWane and its managers on manslaughter and other charges. A grand jury inquiry, senior investigators believed, could have taken them up the corporate ladder.

But Mr. Vacco never sought an indictment against McWane for any crime. Only after an unusual intervention by the United States attorney in Buffalo, who threatened federal charges, did McWane agree to plead guilty to a state felony and pay $500,000. But as the company and Mr. Wagner's widow are quick to note, that charge, a hazardous-waste violation, specifically did not hold McWane accountable for Mr. Wagner's death ....

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(12/30/02) EPA report buries a revelation Juan Gonzalez- NY Daily News: Emission of dioxins in and around Ground Zero in the two months following the WOrld Trade CEnter collapse were "likely the highest ambient concentrations that have ever been reported," according to a report released last week by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. This revelation is buried on page 77 of a 160-page report that the agency released last week.

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(12/19/02) Halliburton Co., the industrial giant once led by Vice President Dick Cheney, agreed yesterday to pay about $4 billion in cash and stock to settle hundreds of thousands of asbestos claims.

(12/16/02) We feel that the MTA should reveal its financial records that it should not be hiding from the public since it is a State Agency. Why doesn't Pataki what to reveal the numbers? Why do they claim they need to raise fares due to deficits yet they do not open their books? How come they waited till the last minute to negotiate with the TWU?

(12/14/02) We just got a report that was commisioned by the EPA that shows the presence of serious toxic chemicals found at and near Ground Zero soon after 9/11. We will be releasing it shortly.

(12/11/02) Joel Kupferman, Esq., Executive Director of NYELJP, will be testifying on Dec. 17th to NY City Council Joint meeting. Committee(s) on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment; Environmental Protection Time: 10:00 AM Location: Council Chambers - City Hall Chairperson(s): Alan Gerson, James Gennaro Oversight - 9/11 Environmental Impact: Agency Response and Lessons Learned . One of the things we strongly believe is that any building constructed of the World Trade Center proportions have the latest and greatest technology for evacuation. One solution we are interested is a system of fire proof slides. Walking down a hundred flights is going to take too long... people are going to succumb to smoke. Sliding down is much faster... Please visit the The Zephinie Escape Chute site. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO SAFETY!

(12/11/02) The Law Project is most concerned about worker health and safety... especially in the face of cutbacks : This is from the Transit Workers Union website:
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Letter to NYCT from Local 100 President Roger Toussaint

Larry Reuter
President, NYCT
370 Jay St., 13th fl.
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Dear President Reuter,

In light of the emergency situation revealed by the occurrence of two worker fatalities in the Space of 48 hours, I am invoking the emergency provisions of CBA 1.9 to address immediately the present inadequate flagging procedures for all of my members working on the Right of Way. I expect an immediate meeting between Toney Earl, Julio Rivera and John Samuelson and their counterparts.
Local 100 specifically raised the issue of flagging to System Safety Vice President Kennedy earlier this fall and did not even receive the courtesy of a response on point or an assurance that the flagging concerns we raised would be addressed.
Because my members are so clearly at immediate risk of death, until a mutually agreed upon protocol is in place. Local 100 is instructing its MOW members that they should only work under the following conditions:
1. Full flagging protection for all gangs, maintainers and small groups working on the track.
2. There shall be no point to point flagging.
3. All activities on the track are deemed to be work of an engrossing nature.
Furthermore, until we are satisfied that the above procedures are in place, Local 100 is instructing all train crews to assume that there may be work underway on the tracks which is not being properly flagged and they are to take all necessary and appropriate precautions.
Sincerely,

Roger Toussaint
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(12/9/02) Have been very busy these last couple of weeks but LOTS of information to be posted... especially extraordinary efforts of our beloved Congressman Nadler on behalf of those adversely affected by the WTC disaster and his work with the former EPA Ombudsman office...

(12/1/02) Asbestos in Extrapulmonary Sites* Omentum and Mesentery by Ronald F. Dodson, PhD, FCCP; Michael F. O’Sullivan, BS; Ju Huang, MS; David B. Holiday, PhD; and Samuel P. Hammar, MD, FCCP

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FEMA APPLICATIONS for REIMBURSMENT FOR HEPA VACUUM CLEANERS & AIR PURIFIERS + ACCEPTED till NOVEMBER 30 2002 NEW EXTENDED HOURS

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GAO Confirms EPA Stripped Ombudsman Authority
Report Concludes New "Ombudsman" is a Paper Tiger

WASHINGTON, DC - A General Accounting Office (GAO) report released on November 13, and obtained by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), raises serious concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) move of the Ombudsman office to the Office of the Inspector General within the EPA.
"This GAO report confirms that the ombudsman function no longer exists at EPA," said Rep. Nadler. "Since the function was dissolved, the people of New York have not heard from the EPA IG or the acting Ombudsman. The people of Ground Zero need an Ombudsman now more than ever. I hope Administrator Whitman will follow this report's recommendations and stop this charade with the IG."
Rep. Nadler (D-NY) who represents Ground Zero, and asked former-Ombudsman Robert Martin, and Chief Investigator Hugh Kaufman, to review the agency's response to the collapse of the World Trade Center in January, has criticized the EPA for moving the Ombudsman to the OIG.
The EPA Ombudsman office was created to independently represent community concerns about solid waste and emergency environmental cleanups to the EPA. Earlier this year, the Ombudsman office was reorganized and moved from the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The new GAO report concludes that the reorganization has failed to make the office more responsive to community concerns and, in fact, significantly hampers the independent operation of the EPA ombudsman. This includes elimination of the ombudsman office's ability to independently determine which cases to pursue or to exercise independent control over the budget and staff resources. More importantly, the report confirms that the OIG is legally prohibited from performing a majority of the ombudsman function, such as engaging in programmatic activities, holding public hearings and informally resolving disputes.
"This report contains some of the most compelling evidence, to date, that it is crucial that Congress pass legislation -- immediately -- to restore an independent and effective Ombudsman's office at the EPA," concluded Rep. Nadler.
###
Eric M. Schmeltzer Press Secretary
Office of Rep. Jerrold Nadler
202-225-5635

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(11/11/02) Brookfield, CT school news update on their asbestos situtaiton.

(11/9/02) New York Times 11-9-02 Lead Levels in Schools' Water Prompt Warnings and Shut-Offs by Robert F. Worth. The New York City schools shut off drinking fountains and posted warning signs on sinks at one in five of its public elementary schools after finding high levels of lead in the water.

(11/9/02) WTNH-11/01/02 Attorneys General of both NY and CT are investigating the sale of WTC asbestos contaminated cars and yet NY firefighters are using WTC contaminated rigs everyday.

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Cate Jenkins,PhD, EPA

see under experts pull-down menu

...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.

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Shame on New York City Department of Environmental Protection for not protecting its worker [notice in this picture from Nov.2000 Tribeca Trib (photo Carl Glassman) that the worker is not wearing any respiration gear or goggles. WHERE IS OSHA!!??!!?

Oct 16, 2002 3:08 pm US/Eastern
(1010 WINS)-(NEW YORK)- Mount Sinai Medical Center will provide free clinical care to workers and volunteers of the World Trade Center site, it was announced Wednesday.

World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program, 1-888-702-0630
Mount Sinai-Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine =====================================================

NEW YORK PRESS names Joel Kupferman the Environmental Attorney for 2001

Best Environmental Lawyer

Joel Kuppferman (sic)
New York Environmental Law And Justice Project
334-5551, www.nyenvirolaw.org

EPA Drops Chemical Security Effort --Washington Post 10/03/02

The Bush administration has abandoned efforts to impose tough new security regulations on the chemical industry to protect against possible terrorist attacks, following months of intense internal fighting within the administration and resistance from the industry. see full article

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