Statement on the Announcement of the First Awards by Special Master Sheila Birnbaum
9/11 Health Watch Statement on the first awards by Special Master Sheila Birnbaum:
Today’s announcement by Victims Compensation Fund Special Master Sheila Birnbaum of the first 15 awards under the reopened VCF is good news for the responders and survivors who were injured in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Today’s announcement is the fulfillment of several years of effort to reopen the VCF and provide some help to those still suffering from the effects of the toxins they were exposed to.
While today’s announcement is a small step, it is an important indication that the James Zadroga Act is being implemented properly and that we can look forward to more responders and survivors being compensated for their injuries in the coming weeks and months.
The announcement received considerable media attention, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and the New York Post.