Archive of
“City of Dust: Illness, Arrogance, and 9/11” by former New York Times reporter Anthony DePalma
In City of Dust, Anthony DePalma offers the first full accounting of one of the gravest environmental catastrophes in United States history. The destruction on 9/11 of two of the world’s largest buildings unleashed a vortex of dust and ash that blotted out the sun and has distorted science, medicine and public policy ever since. The likely dangers of 9/11’s massive dust cloud were evident from the beginning, yet thousands chose not to see. Why? As the sickening results of exposure became evident, many still refused to recognize them. Why? The consequences are still being tallied in the wasted bodies and disrupted lives of thousands who gave their all when the need was greatest, but whose demands for justice have been consumed by years of politics and courtroom maneuvers. Why?, separating reality from myth – and doing so with exceptional literary style and grace. DePalma covered Ground Zero for The New York Times for four years. DePalma introduces heroic firefighters, dedicated doctors and scientists, obsessive city officials, partisan politicians, aggressive lawyers, and compassionate judges and reveals the individual decisions that destroyed public trust, and the desperate attempts made to rebuild it. The dust that was the World Trade Center has changed everything it touched. This is the story of that dust, the 9/11 disaster after the disaster, and what it tells us about ourselves and our future.
“Fallout, The Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Collapse” by Juan González
Within days of the September 11th attack in New York City, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman, together with Time Man-of-the-Year Rudy Giuliani, reassured New Yorkers that air “contaminants are either not detectable or are below the Agency’s concern levels.
In fact, EPA tests taken at the time showed high concentrations of toxic materials in the air downtown, including asbestos, dioxins, and heavy metals. Con Edison and the Port Authority revealed—two months after the attack—that nearly 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel and transformer oils, much of it contaminated with low-level PCBs, had escaped beneath Ground Zero. And independent measurements of indoor air, widespread because the agency declined to test private buildings, showed astronomically higher readings.
Prize-winning journalist Juan Gonzalez argues that public officials misled New Yorkers about the real dangers of toxic contamination after September 11. Their failure may have profound effects on the long-term health of New Yorkers and the reputation of the ex-mayor.
Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez is one of the few journalists investigating the environmental impact of the WTC collapse. His previous books include Roll Down Your Window and Harvest of Empire.”
Statement on WTC Health Registry Study on Cancer
911 Health Watch Statement on the release today of the WTC Health Registry Study on Cancer that is being published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Today’s release of the WTC Health Registry Article on Cancer being published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, confirms last year’s study published by the […]
The Foreclosure Fiasco
This is hardly the only time in recent months that a settlement that is publicized as righting a wrong instead hands money to people who were never victimized. Think back to the $4.3 billion fund established by Congress to compensate people who became sick because of their exposure to toxic dust created by the 9/11 attacks.
911 Health Watch Statement on Victims Compensation Fund
Yesterday the NY Post published an article ” Nearly two years after Zadroga bill signed, Ground Zero workers and others sickened or injured in 9/11 attacks haven’t been paid” about the slow pace of the reopened Victims Compensation Fund. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/zilch_from_zadroga_OVXHXJcP8A3g6Igem57V5N Below is a statement from 911 Health Watch in response to the article. 911 Health […]
Quinn: City Should Help 9/11 Volunteers Get Health Compensation
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has called on the Bloomberg administration to find ways to streamline the process of applying for compensation for those who volunteered in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Statement on the Second Anniversary of the Signing of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act
Today, January 2nd 2013, is the 2nd Anniversary of the Signing into law by President Obama of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, Public Law No: 111-347.
Volunteers at Ground Zero Now Face a Demand for Proof
On the day the terrorists flew into the World Trade Center, the Wu-Tang Clan canceled its meeting with a record mixer named Richard Oliver, so Mr. Oliver rushed downtown from his Hell’s Kitchen apartment to help out.
World Trade Center rescue workers may face increased cancer risk
People who were involved in the rescue and recovery operation at the World Trade Center (WTC) are at an increased risk for certain types of cancer, including prostate, thyroid, and myeloma, study findings suggest.
9/11 studies dovetail
A study of the health impact of 9/11 expected to be released soon will find increases in cancer rates similar to those in a city Health Department study released this week.