White House Was Behind EPA Failure to Outline Ground Zero Air Toxics Health Risk
Today we remember the terrible tragedy of 9/11, and honor those who lost their lives. It is central to the future of our nation that we now seek to understand gross failure of the EPA, which worked closely with the Bush administration in the aftermath of the destruction, to deliberately downplay the risks associated with the toxic smoke from the fallen towers.
A report filed by the Office of the Inspector General of the EPA in August 2003 explains that the Bush White House censored EPA press releases:
"When the EPA made a September 18 announcement that the air was 'safe' to breathe, it did not have sufficient data and analysis to make such a blanket statement. Furthermore, the White House Council on Environmental Quality influenced . . . the information that EPA communicated to the public through its early press releases when it convinced EPA to add reassuring statements and delete cautionary ones," (emphasis mine.)
In an Orwellian twist, an EPA statement pointing out that dust samples from lower Manhattan contained higher than safe levels of asbestos was changed by the White House to read: "samples confirm previous reports that ambient air quality meets OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards and consequently is not a cause for public concern."
The report also showed that language in part of an EPA draft which stated that asbestos levels in some areas were three times higher than national safety standard was changed to "slightly above the 1 percent trigger for defining asbestos material.
Among the deleted cautionary statements was a warning to "sensitive populations" such as the elderly, and those with asthma and respiratory diseases.
Also deleted by the White House, a recommendation that Ground Zero should be cleaned by professionals. According to the 2003 report the recommendation was replaced with instructions for the public to "follow instructions from New York City Officials."
Here's what Mayor Giuliani said on September 30Th:
“There is a lot of questions about the air quality because there are at times in downtown Manhattan and then sometimes even further beyond that, a very strong odor. The odor is really just from the fire and the smoke that continues to go on. It is monitored constantly and is not in any way dangerous. It is well below any level of problems and any number of ways in which you test it.”
The October 26, 2001 New York Daily News article by Juan Gonzalez, "A Toxic Nightmare at Disaster Site," exposed that the EPA had indeed found that benzene and dioxin levels at Ground Zero were well in excess of acceptable levels.
Many of the Ground Zero responders, selflessly working to save fellow Americans, would surely have been there regardless of any warnings about toxic air. I speculate that many responders were aware of the toxic dangers they bravely faced, it doesn't take an EPA specialist to figure out that smoke from burning buildings probably contains toxins. But why wouldn't OSHA enforce normal worker safety standards especially months after 9/11, well past the emergency?
As a result of this high level downplaying of dangers, many who worked at Ground Zero in the months following 9/11 are now suffering greatly.
One recent study found that 25% of Ground Zero workers continue to suffer lung aliments.
Another new study recently covered by Benzene Leukemia Law Blog, reported that 9/11 responders face increased risk of multiple myeloma, a disease that is increasingly being linked to benzene exposure. Read the Post...
Ground Zero workers have not been compensated by the government in any way for the harm they have suffered as a result of their heroic actions. The Feal-Good Foundation, is a non-profit organization started by disabled ground zero worker John Feal, that raises money to help those harmed by their service at Ground Zero. Click here to check out the website and find out how you can help. While you're there, check out the eye opening video "Save The Brave," which outlines the plight of 9/11 Ground Zero workers.
