NYT: New York Authorities Withheld Air Quality Data for Years After 9/11
World
New York authorities have begun releasing documents on air quality following the September 11, 2001 attacks. The records show that levels of hazardous substances including asbestos and benzene exceeded permitted limits, even as residents were repeatedly told that the air was safe.
The New York Times reported that the released material contains more than 170,000 pages of air-quality reports and pollution records. The documents were made public following a lawsuit filed by the organization 9/11 Health Watch.
The records show that hazardous substances continued to be detected months after the destruction of the World Trade Center. In July 2002, ten months after the attacks, specialists were still finding asbestos less than 1.5 kilometers from the World Trade Center.
Despite this, city authorities repeatedly told residents that the air was safe and that the results of inspections were within acceptable limits. Ben Chevat, head of 9/11 Health Watch, said the documents show that New York authorities knew about the danger posed by toxic chemicals but continued to assure residents that they were not present in the air.
According to NYT estimates, nearly 3,000 people have died from illnesses caused by exposure to hazardous substances in the air following the attacks. That figure exceeds the number of people killed directly in the September 11 attacks.
On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger aircraft in the United States. Two were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York, while a third struck the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed near Shanksville. A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks.
The records show that hazardous substances continued to be detected months after the destruction of the World Trade Center. In July 2002, ten months after the attacks, specialists were still finding asbestos less than 1.5 kilometers from the World Trade Center.
Despite this, city authorities repeatedly told residents that the air was safe and that the results of inspections were within acceptable limits. Ben Chevat, head of 9/11 Health Watch, said the documents show that New York authorities knew about the danger posed by toxic chemicals but continued to assure residents that they were not present in the air.
According to NYT estimates, nearly 3,000 people have died from illnesses caused by exposure to hazardous substances in the air following the attacks. That figure exceeds the number of people killed directly in the September 11 attacks.
On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger aircraft in the United States. Two were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York, while a third struck the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed near Shanksville. A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks.
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