Air Today . . . Gone Tomorrow Article
Government Cover-up on
WTC Health Effects?
Institute for Public Accuracy, August
19, 2004
SUZANNE MATTEI,
suzanne.mattei@sierraclub.org, www.sierraclub.org/groundzero
Mattei is author of the just-released
report "Air Pollution and Deception at Ground Zero." Head of the Sierra Club's
New York office, she said today "Among our findings in the report are
* "The Bush administration knew the
health risks and ignored its own long-standing body of knowledge about the harmful
products of incineration and demolition. It should have issued a health warning
immediately on that basis.
* "This is not a matter of putting a
political spin on a few early press releases. What we uncovered was a long-term effort to
prevent the public from knowing the health hazards. They looked so as not to find. And
when they did find, they either didn't tell us or came up with embarrassingly weak excuses
for why we shouldn't be concerned.
* "For example, the federal
government surveyed EPA's own office employees three months after the attack, found out
that they were still sick, but never told the public. It was published in a journal, but
the public never knew.
* "Many workers at and near Ground
Zero did not have proper health and safety protections. And the Bush administration
refused to enforce worker safety requirements at Ground Zero."
Mattei added "Based on a review of
new national emergency plans, the administration plans to perpetuate its failed policies
in any future national disaster anywhere else in the United States."
JOEL KUPFERMAN, envjoel@ix.netcom.com,
www.nyenvirolaw.org
Kupferman is the executive director of the
New York Environmental Law and Justice Project and counsel to the Uniformed Firefighters
Association in New York City. He authored the article "The Public Health Fallout from
September 11 Official Deception and Long-Term Damage" and conducted samples and
Freedom of Information requests which uncovered many of the problems now gaining
attention. He said today "We are pursuing a lawsuit against the EPA and continue to
discover very hazardous situations downtown."
CATE JENKINS, jenkins.cate@epa.gov, [PDF
file www.nyenvirolaw.org/PDF/Jenkins-7-4-03-documentary-d2.pdf]
Jenkins is a 24-year specialist with the
EPA's Hazardous Waste Identification Division. She said today "On July 15, 2004, I
provided the EPA Inspector General with the first documentation that EPA had actually
concealed hazardous air data after 9/11. EPA explicitly stated in a series of press
releases that tests for asbestos were below a certain specific level, while at the same
time having in their possession tests from New York City showing asbestos above this
level. EPA only referred to their own tests, which were questionable to begin with. Yet,
EPA had in its possession at the time other data from New York City showing just the
opposite, and concealed it from the public. New York City also concealed its data. When
New York City finally released the data in 2002, it altered the results in many cases to
show lower, non-hazardous levels. This deliberate concealment raises the liability of EPA
and New York City from the mere misrepresentation of hazards, to the level of a
deliberate, knowing falsification and disregard for public safety. EPA and New York City
can no longer hide behind their 'sovereign immunity' defense in litigation brought by
those now and in the future suffering permanent disability after the World Trade Center
collapse, the living victims of 9/11."
http//www.accuracy.org/press_releases/PR081904.htm
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