    [Senate Hearing 107-524]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                   S. Hrg. 107-524, Part II

       AIR QUALITY IN NEW YORK CITY AFTER THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ATTACKS
    =======================================================================

                                 FIELD HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

            SUBCOMMITTEE ON CLEAN AIR, WETLANDS, AND CLIMATE CHANGE

                                     OF THE

                                  COMMITTEE ON
                          ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                          ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                                       ON

       AIR QUALITY IN NEW YORK CITY AFTER THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ATTACKS

                                   __________

                        FEBRUARY 11, 2002--NEW YORK CITY

                                   __________

      Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works

                               U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
    82-894                          WASHINGTON : 2003
    ____________________________________________________________________________
    For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
    Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov  Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; (202) 512-1800
    Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001

                   COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                          ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
                                 second session

                      JAMES M. JEFFORDS, Vermont, Chairman
    MAX BAUCUS, Montana                  BOB SMITH, New Hampshire
    HARRY REID, Nevada                   JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia
    BOB GRAHAM, Florida                  JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
    JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut     CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri
    BARBARA BOXER, California            GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio
    RON WYDEN, Oregon                    MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho
    THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island
    HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York     ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania
    JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey           BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado
                     Ken Connolly, Majority Staff Director
                     Dave Conover, Minority Staff Director
                                     ------

            Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, and Climate Change

                   JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut, Chairman
    HARRY REID, Nevada                   GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio
    THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
    HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York     MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho
    JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey           BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado

                                      (ii)

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                        FEBRUARY 11, 2002--NEW YORK CITY
                         ADDITIONAL MATERIAL--Continued

    Attachments from EPA:
        Attachment 3, Non-Fixed Location Air Sampling and Monitoring
          Record of Results
            December 21, 2001........................................     1
            December 22-27, 2001.....................................    42
            December 28, 2001........................................    78
            December 29-31, 2001.....................................    81
            January 1-2, 2002........................................   137
            January 3, 2002..........................................   147
            January 4, 2002..........................................   163
            January 5-7, 2002........................................   180
            January 8, 2002..........................................   215
            January 9, 2002..........................................   224
            January 10, 2002.........................................   244
            January 11, 2002.........................................   257
            January 12-14, 2002......................................   298
            January 15, 2002.........................................   336
            January 16, 2002.........................................   353
            January 17, 2002.........................................   388
            January 18, 2002.........................................   402
            January 19-21, 2002......................................   414
            January 22, 2002.........................................   444
            January 23, 2002.........................................   454
            January 24, 2002.........................................   468
            January 25, 2002.........................................   478
            January 26-28, 2002......................................   502
            January 29, 2002.........................................   525
            January 30, 2002.........................................   539
            January 31, 2002.........................................   550
            February 1, 2002.........................................   563
            February 2-4, 2002.......................................   578
            February 5, 2002.........................................   590
            February 6, 2002.........................................   595
            February 7, 2002.........................................   601
            February 8, 2002.........................................   619
            February 9-11, 2002......................................   631
            February 12, 2002........................................   646
            February 13, 2002........................................   662
            February 14, 2002........................................   679
            February 15, 2002........................................   703
            February 16-19, 2002.....................................   721
            February 20, 2002........................................   736
            February 21, 2002........................................   750
            February 22, 2002........................................   766
            February 23-25, 2002.....................................   785
            February 26, 2002........................................   795
            February 27, 2002........................................   815
            February 28, 2002........................................   818
            March 1-4, 2002..........................................   821
            March 5, 2002............................................   830
            March 6, 2002............................................   850
            March 7, 2002............................................   882
            March 8-11, 2002.........................................   955
            March 12, 2002...........................................   977
            March 13, 2002...........................................   993
            March 14, 2002...........................................  1020
            March 15-19, 2002........................................  1052
            March 21, 2002...........................................  1086
            March 22, 2002...........................................  1100
            March 23-25, 2002........................................  1113
            March 26, 2002...........................................  1124
            March 27, 2002...........................................  1136
            March 28, 2002...........................................  1153
            March 29-April 1, 2002...................................  1172
            April 2, 2002............................................  1183
            April 3, 2002............................................  1204
            April 4, 2002............................................  1255
            April 5-8, 2002..........................................  1280
            April 9, 2002............................................  1304
            April 10, 2002...........................................  1315
            April 11, 2002...........................................  1331
            April 12-16, 2002........................................  1375
            April 17, 2002...........................................  1405
            April 18, 2002...........................................  1445
            April 19, 2002...........................................  1454
            April 20-22, 2002........................................  1477
        Attachment 4, Personal Safety & Health Protection
          Recommendations for Search and Rescue Personnel............  1489
        Attachment 5, Asbestos Hazards and Precautions...............  1489
        Attachment 6, EPA Press Release, September 13, 2001; EPA
          Response to September 11, EPA Initiates Emergency Response
          Activities, Reassures Public About Environmental Hazards...  1490
        Attachment 7, EPA Press Release, September 14, 2001; EPA
          Response to September 11, EPA Emergency Responses at World
          Trade Center and Pentagon..................................  1491
        Attachment 8, EPA Press Release, September 18, 2001; EPA
          Response to September 11, Whitman Details Ongoing Agency
          Efforts to Monitor Disaster Sites, Contribute to Cleanup
          Efforts....................................................  1491
        Attachment 9, EPA Press Release, September 21, 2001; EPA
          Response to September 11, NYC Monitoring Efforts Continue
          to Show Safe Drinking Water & Air..........................  1493
        Attachment 10, EPA Press Release, September 21, 2001; EPA
          Response to September 11, EPA and OSHA Web Sites Provide
          Environmental Monitoring Data From World Trade Center and
          Surrounding Areas..........................................  1494
        Attachment 11, Letter to Kelly R. McKinney, Associate
          Commissioner, Bureau of Regulatory and Environmental Health
          Services from Bruce Sprague, Chief, Response and Prevention
          Branch, Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, Edison,
          NY.........................................................  1496
        Attachment 12, Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2,
          News Release, October 30, 2001, Environmental Monitoring
          Data Related to the World Trade Center Disaster Response
          Available to Public........................................  1496
        Attachment 13, Indoor Air Samples at 290 Broadway and 26
          Federal Plaza on September 13 and at 100 Church Street on
          October 23.................................................  1498
        Attachment 14, Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2,
          News Release, March 25, 2002, Federal, State and City
          Agencies Announce Actions for Lower Manhattan Air Quality..  1500

    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                  ATTACHMENT 4

                        Environmental Protection Agency
    EPA Personal Safety & Health Protection Recommendations for Search and
                                Rescue Personnel
                      personal protection equipment (ppe)
        All personnel in the work area should wear the following:
         Hard hats.
         Steel-toed/heavy duty work shoes.
         Long pants and long sleeve work shirts.
         Safety glasses/eye protection.
         Respiratory protection.

              Ground zero: Approved respirator (P-100 or equivalent).
              Other areas: Dust mask (N-100/R-100 or equivalent).
                           work area safety concerns
         Watch surroundings at all times.
         Be alert for materials and debris that may fall from
    damaged buildings.
         Cap and secure unused pressurized cylinders.
         As far as practical, try to keep the generation of dusts
    to a minimum.
         Use the buddy system.
                           work area health concerns
         Clean respirators and eye wear as frequently as possible.
         No consumption of foods that have not been covered or
    properly sealed.
         When leaving work area:

              Dust off clothing.
              Clean or scrape off shoes.
              Wash hands and face.
                           heavy equipment operations
         Stand clear of operating equipment and vehicles.
         Avoid entering crane swing radius.
         Use tag lines when lifting loads.
         Use spotter during lifting operations and for personnel
    safety in area (no lifting over personnel/equipment).
         All equipment operators wear proper PPE when leaving
    equipment (see above).
         Be cautious of operating speeds in work areas and
    especially when leaving the area.
              Recommend speeds no faster than 10 mph until outside hazard
            areas.
                               emergency signals
         Immediately Stop Work/Evaluate Area: Three (3) repeated
    short blasts of siren/air horn.
         Stop Work/Remain Silent: One (1) long blast of siren/air
    horn.
         Restart Work: One (1) long and two (2) short blasts of
    siren/air horns.
                                   __________
                                  ATTACHMENT 5
                        Asbestos Hazards and Precautions
        In response to the World Trade Center devastation, concerns have
    been raised with breathing asbestos-contaminated material and
    irritation from skin and eye contact. Asbestos was likely used in
    various construction materials used to build the World Trade Center.
    Short-term exposure to asbestos can cause respiratory, skin, or eye
    irritation. These symptoms can also be experienced from contact with
    non-asbestos dust, such as a concrete particulate debris.
        For the public the best response is to remain indoors with windows
    shut if possible. For emergency workers air purifying respirators
    should be used when available but paper filament masks will provide
    sufficient protection under minimal exposure conditions.
        Cleanup workers should be protected with appropriate eye
    protection, air purifying respirators and personal protective clothing,
    such as TYVEKs, to prevent skin irritation. Workers should practice
    basic decontamination procedures, such as washing hands and faces. To
    minimize air-borne contamination, debris should be misted or sprayed
    with water during cleanup operations.
                                   __________
                                  ATTACHMENT 6
                EPA Press Release: EPA Response to September 11
                               September 13, 2001
      epa initiates emergency response activities, reassures public about
                             environmental hazards
        U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman
    today announced that EPA is taking steps to ensure the safety of rescue
    workers and the public at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
    disaster sites, and to protect the environment. EPA is working with
    State, Federal, and local agencies to monitor and respond to potential
    environmental hazards and minimize any environmental effects of the
    disasters and their aftermath.
        At the request of the New York City Department of Health, EPA and
    the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health
    Administration (OSHA) have been on the scene at the World Trade Center
    monitoring exposure to potentially contaminated dust and debris.
    Monitoring and sampling conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday have been
    very reassuring about potential exposure of rescue crews and the public
    to environmental contaminants.
        EPA's primary concern is to ensure that rescue workers and the
    public are not exposed to elevated levels of asbestos, acidic gases or
    other contaminants from the debris. Sampling of ambient air quality
    found either no asbestos or very low levels of asbestos. Sampling of
    bulk materials and dust found generally low levels of asbestos.
        The levels of lead, asbestos and volatile organic compounds in air
    samples taken on Tuesday in Brooklyn, downwind from the World Trade
    Center site, were not detectable or not of concern.
        Additional sampling of both ambient air quality and dust particles
    was conducted Wednesday night in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and
    results were uniformly acceptable.
        ``EPA is greatly relieved to have learned that there appears to be
    no significant levels of asbestos dust in the air in New York City,''
    said Administrator Whitman. ``We are working closely with rescue crews
    to ensure that all appropriate precautions are taken. We will continue
    to monitor closely.''
        Public health concerns about asbestos contamination are primarily
    related to long-term exposure. Short-term, low-level exposure of the
    type that might have been produced by the collapse of the World Trade
    Center buildings is unlikely to cause significant health effects. EPA
    and OSHA will work closely with rescue and cleanup crews to minimize
    their potential exposure, but the general public should be very
    reassured by initial sampling.
        EPA and OSHA will continue to monitor and sample for asbestos, and
    will work with the appropriate officials to ensure that rescue workers,
    cleanup crews and the general public are properly informed about
    appropriate steps that should be taken to ensure proper handling,
    transportation and disposal of potentially contaminated debris or
    materials.
        EPA is taking steps to ensure that response units implement
    appropriate engineering controls to minimize environmental hazards,
    such as water sprays and rinsing to prevent or minimize potential
    exposure and limit releases of potential contaminants beyond the debris
    site.
        EPA is also conducting downwind sampling for potential chemical and
    asbestos releases from the World Trade Center debris site. In addition,
    EPA has deployed Federal On-Scene Coordinators to the Washington, DC
    Emergency Operations Center, Fort Meade, and FEMA's alternate Regional
    Operations Center in Pennsylvania, and has deployed an On-Scene
    Coordinator to the Virginia Emergency Operations Center.
        Under its response authority, EPA will use all available resources
    and staff experts to facilitate a safe emergency response and cleanup.
        EPA will work with other involved agencies as needed to:
         procure and distribute respiratory and eye protection
    equipment in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human
    Services;
         provide health and safety training upon request;
         design and implement a site monitoring plan;
         provide technical assistance for site control and
    decontamination; and
         provide some 3000 asbestos respirators, 60 self-contained
    breathing apparatuses and 10,000 protective clothing suits to the two
    disaster sites.
        New York Governor George E. Pataki has promised to provide
    emergency electric generators to New York City in efforts to restore
    lost power caused by Tuesday's tragedy, and EPA will work with State
    authorities to expedite any necessary permits for those generators.
        OSHA is also working with Consolidated Edison regarding safety
    standards for employees who are digging trenches because of leaking gas
    lines underground. OSHA has advised Con Edison to provide its employees
    with appropriate respirators so they can proceed with emergency work,
    shutting off gas leaks in the city.
                                   __________
                                  ATTACHMENT 7
                EPA Press Release: EPA Response to September 11
                               September 14, 2001
           epa emergency responses at world trade center and pentagon
        After terrorists struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on
    September 11, 2001, 26 EPA specialists were on the scene within hours.
    Currently, more than 225 EPA experts are responding to the WTC and
    Pentagon disasters. EPA criminal investigators, forensic and technical
    specialists and emergency response experts are providing support to
    FEMA, the FBI and local emergency officials. EPA is one of many Federal
    agencies responsible for responding to this national crisis.
        The primary mission of EPA's Emergency Response Program is to
    protect the public and the environment from immediate threats posed by
    the release or discharge of hazardous substances and oil. Emergency
    response personnel are monitoring potential air quality issues;
    analyzing samples for asbestos and other hazardous materials and oil
    sampling; and disposing of biomedical waste. EPA has worked with the
    State of New York and Virginia to waive landfill amount requirements to
    expedite the removal of debris from the scenes.
        EPA has initially budgeted $600,000 to provide technical assistance
    and response support. More than 3,000 respirators, 60 self-contained
    breathing apparatus machines, and 10,000 specially-equipped protective
    suits are on the way to these disaster sites. EPA is working closely
    with Federal, State, and local partners to ensure that all workers and
    volunteers involved in the rescue and cleanup efforts are properly
    protected.
        EPA Region 2 emergency response staff are also stationed at the FBI
    Joint Operations Center in New York City, Trenton, New Jersey Emergency
    Operations Center, and FEMA's office in Albany, NY. Region 2's Edison,
    NJ office is also providing work space for 100 FEMA employees. EPA HQ
    Emergency Operations Center is operating on a 24-hour basis, while R3
    has emergency responders deployed to Washington, DC., Ft. Meade and at
    the Willow Grove Naval Air Station in Pennsylvania.
        EPA will continue to coordinate with our Federal partners to ensure
    the health and safety of the public and the environment during this
    national crisis.
        More information is available at: EPA's Environmental Response Team
    Center, EPA's Oil Spill Program, and EPA's Superfund Program.
                                   __________
                                  ATTACHMENT 8
                EPA Press Release: EPA Response to September 11
                               September 18, 2001
       whitman details ongoing agency efforts to monitor disaster sites,
                         contribute to cleanup efforts
        EPA Administrator Christie Whitman announced today that results
    from the Agency's air and drinking water monitoring near the World
    Trade Center and Pentagon disaster sites indicate that these vital
    resources are safe. Whitman also announced that EPA has been given up
    to $83 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to
    support EPA's involvement in cleanup activities and ongoing monitoring
    of environmental conditions in both the New York City and Washington
    metropolitan areas following last week's terrorist attacks on the World
    Trade Center and the Pentagon.
        ``We are very encouraged that the results from our monitoring of
    air quality and drinking water conditions in both New York and near the
    Pentagon show that the public in these areas is not being exposed to
    excessive levels of asbestos or other harmful substances,'' Whitman
    said. ``Given the scope of the tragedy from last week, I am glad to
    reassure the people of New York and Washington, DC that their air is
    safe to breath and their water is safe to drink,'' she added.
        In the aftermath of last Tuesday's attacks, EPA has worked closely
    with State, Federal and local authorities to provide expertise on
    cleanup methods for hazardous materials, as well as to detect whether
    any contaminants are found in ambient air quality monitoring, sampling
    of drinking water sources and sampling of runoff near the disaster
    sites.
        At the request of FEMA, EPA has been involved in the cleanup and
    site monitoring efforts, working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, the
    Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health
    Administration (OSHA) and State and local organizations.
        EPA has conducted repeated monitoring of ambient air at the site of
    the World Trade Center and in the general Wall Street district of
    Manhattan, as well as in Brooklyn. The Agency is planning to perform
    air monitoring in the surrounding New York metropolitan area. EPA has
    established 10 continuous (stationary) air monitoring stations near the
    WTC site. Thus far, from 50 air samples taken, the vast majority of
    results are either non-detectable or below established levels of
    concern for asbestos, lead and volatile organic compounds. The highest
    levels of asbestos have been detected within one-half block of Ground
    Zero, where rescuers have been provided with appropriate protective
    equipment.
        In Lower Manhattan, the City of New York has also been involved in
    efforts to clean anything coated with debris dust resulting from
    Tuesday's destruction. This involves spraying water over buildings,
    streets and sidewalks to wash the accumulated dust off the building and
    eliminate the possibility that materials would become airborne. To
    complement this clean-up effort, EPA has performed 62 dust sample
    analyses for the presence of asbestos and other substances. Most dust
    samples fall below EPA's definition of ``asbestos containing material''
    (one percent asbestos). Where samples have shown greater than 1 percent
    asbestos, EPA has operated its 10 High Efficiency Particulate
    Arresting, HEPA, vacuum trucks to clean the area and then resample. EPA
    also used the 10 HEPA vac trucks to clean streets and sidewalks in the
    Financial District in preparation for Monday's return to business. The
    Agency plans to use HEPA vac trucks to clean the lobbies of the five
    Federal buildings near the World Trade Center site, and to clean the
    streets outside of New York's City Hall.
        Drinking water in Manhattan was tested at 13 sampling points, in
    addition to one test at the Newtown Sewage Treatment plant and pump
    station. Initial results of this drinking water sampling show that
    levels of asbestos are well below EPA's levels of concern.
        While FEMA has provided EPA with a Total Project Ceiling cost of
    slightly more than $83 million for the Agency's cleanup efforts in New
    York City and in at the Pentagon site, EPA currently is working with
    emergency funding of $23.7 million. If costs exceed this level, FEMA
    will authorize EPA to tap additional funding in increments of $15
    million. As part of the additional funding to be provided by FEMA, EPA
    will be responsible for any hazardous waste disposal, general site
    safety and providing sanitation facilities for many of the search and
    rescue workers to wash the dust off following their shifts. EPA is
    coordinating with both the U.S. Air Force Center for Environmental
    Excellence and the U.S. Coast Guard to quickly implement these
    additional responsibilities to ensure that search and rescue personnel
    are provided with the maximum support and protection from hazardous
    materials that may be found during their mission.
        At the Pentagon explosion site in Arlington, VA, EPA has also been
    involved in a variety of monitoring of air and water quality. All
    ambient air monitoring results, both close to the crash site and in the
    general vicinity, have shown either no detection of asbestos or levels
    that fall well below the Agency's level of concern. Testing of runoff
    water from the disaster site does not show elevated levels of
    contaminants. Given the large numbers of Department of Defense (DOD)
    employees returning to work this week, EPA has worked closely with
    officials from DOD and from the Occupational Safety and Health
    Administration (OSHA) to evaluate air and drinking water quality and to
    be certain that the workplace environment will be safe.
        While careful not to impede the search, rescue and cleanup efforts
    at either the World Trade Center or the Pentagon disaster sites, EPA's
    primary concern has been to ensure that rescue workers and the public
    are not being exposed to elevated levels of potentially hazardous
    contaminants in the dust and debris, especially where practical
    solutions are available to reduce exposure. EPA has assisted efforts to
    provide dust masks to rescue workers to minimize inhalation of dust.
    EPA also recommends that the blast site debris continue to be kept wet,
    which helps to significantly reduce the amount of airborne dust which
    can aggravate respiratory ailments such as asthma. On-site facilities
    are being made available for rescue workers to clean themselves, change
    their clothing and to have dust-laden clothes cleaned separately from
    normal household wash.
                                   __________
                                  ATTACHMENT 9
                EPA Press Release: EPA Response to September 11
                               September 21, 2001
       nyc monitoring efforts continue to show safe drinking water & air
        EPA Administrator Christie Whitman announced today that the most
    detailed results to date of ongoing monitoring of drinking water in New
    York City provide additional reassurance that city residents are not
    being exposed to dangerous contaminants including asbestos, radiation,
    mercury and other metals, pesticides, PCBs and bacteria.
        ``As we continue to monitor drinking water in and around New York
    City, and as EPA gets more comprehensive analysis of this monitoring
    data, I am relieved to be able to reassure New York and New Jersey
    residents that a host of potential contaminants are either not
    detectable or are below the Agency's concern levels,'' Whitman said.
    ``Results we have just received on drinking water quality show that not
    only is asbestos not detectable, but also we can not detect any
    bacterial contamination, PCBs or pesticides,'' she continued.
        Whitman confirmed that EPA personnel, working in coordination with
    the New York City Department of Environmental Protection at and around
    the World Trade Center disaster site, have thus far taken a total of 13
    drinking water samples from water mains in Lower Manhattan. In addition
    to analyzing the samples for asbestos, pesticides and PCBs
    (polychlorinated biphenyls, which are mixtures of synthetic organic
    chemicals), EPA has also tested drinking water for metals (including
    mercury), and radioactivity (both alpha and beta). None of these
    contaminants exceeded EPA drinking water standards.
        ``In addition to carefully evaluating drinking water in the New
    York area, EPA has taken samples at the Newtown Creek Wastewater
    Treatment Plant, where runoff from Lower Manhattan goes for treatment,
    to identify what sort of materials are leaving the disaster site,''
    Whitman continued. ``While we haven't yet gotten results for all
    possible contaminants, we do know that levels of metals and mercury are
    below permit discharge limits,'' she noted. However, Whitman did state
    that ``following one rainstorm with particularly high runoff, we did
    have one isolated detection of slightly elevated levels of PCBs. This
    is something that we are continuing to monitor very closely.'' Other
    analysis of monitoring data taken at Newtown Creek treatment plant
    shows that total suspended solids and biochemical oxygen demand, common
    indicators of how well a wastewater treatment plant is operating,
    indicate that the plant is working within permit limits. The Agency
    will continue to collect water samples at storm water discharge points
    when it rains and to fully analyze the samples for asbestos, PCBs,
    metals and total suspended solids.
        Whitman elaborated on the repeated monitoring of ambient air both
    at the World Trade Center disaster site and the surrounding area. To
    date the Agency has taken 97 air samples from 11 separate fixed
    monitoring sites in and around the ``hot zone'' and elsewhere in Lower
    Manhattan, and four fixed monitoring sites located in New Jersey
    downwind from the blast. Only seven samples taken at or near Ground
    Zero have had marginally higher levels of asbestos that exceed EPA's
    level of concern. All rescue workers in this restricted-access area are
    being provided with appropriate safety equipment. Ambient air
    monitoring in the Financial District, where this week people have
    returned to work, show levels of asbestos that are below Agency levels
    of concern. Four samples taken specifically to identify if mercury is
    present resulted in non-detectable readings. On September 19, EPA also
    took readings of outdoor air at numerous locations around Ground Zero
    for chemicals including hydrogen sulfide, volatile organic compounds
    (VOCs), carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. All readings indicated that
    levels were normal and posed no public health concern. All air samples
    taken in New Jersey have shown no detectable levels of asbestos
    whatsoever.
        EPA has set up eight air monitors at the Fresh Kills Landfill on
    Staten Island, where debris from the collapsed World Trade Center
    towers is being sent for criminal and forensic analysis, and eventual
    disposal. Initial results show no detectable levels of asbestos. The
    Agency will continue to operate these air monitors at the landfill and
    will test for asbestos and for particulate matter.
        Whitman detailed dust sampling undertaken thus far at the World
    Trade Center site, and confirmed that EPA has done a total of 101 dust
    samples, of which 37 were slightly over the 1 percent asbestos (the
    amount above which material is considered asbestos-containing). EPA has
    continued to use its 10 High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA)
    filter vacuum trucks, especially in areas where dust samples show any
    elevated levels of asbestos. Of the 16 samples taken in the Battery
    Park City area, a residential community within two blocks of the
    disaster site, 12 showed slightly elevated levels of asbestos. After
    using the HEPA Vac trucks to clean streets and surfaces in Battery Park
    City, repeat sampling in the area showed asbestos levels that fall
    below concern amounts. EPA will continue to monitor this area. The HEPA
    Vac trucks were also used to vacuum lobbies of Federal buildings near
    the disaster site prior to having workers return.
        Monitoring and cleanup efforts also continue at the Pentagon crash
    site. To date, EPA has taken 140 total samples, including ambient air
    samples, bulk debris analysis, silica and water discharge samples.
    Monitoring samples have been analyzed for asbestos and other hazardous
    materials.
                                   __________
                                 ATTACHMENT 10
                          EPA Response to September 11
    EPA and OSHA Web Sites Provide Environmental Monitoring Data From World
                       Trade Center and Surrounding Areas
      data confirms no significant public health risks; rescue crews and
       nearby residents should take appropriate precautions data through
                               september 30, 2001
        U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christie
    Whitman and U.S. Department of Labor Assistant Secretary for
    Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) John Henshaw announced today that
    both Federal agencies are providing the public with extensive
    additional environmental monitoring data from the World Trade Center
    site and nearby areas in Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey. Both
    agencies have taken hundreds of samples to monitor environmental
    conditions since September 11th, and have found no evidence of any
    significant public health hazard to residents, visitors or workers
    beyond the immediate World Trade Center area.
        In response to public requests for more detailed information, EPA
    and OSHA are making the results of environmental and occupational
    sampling available on their sites on the World Wide Web (www.epa.gov
    and www.osha.gov), and will post additional data as it becomes
    available.
        EPA and OSHA, working closely with other Federal, state, and local
    agencies, have been sampling the air, dust, water, river sediments and
    drinking water and analyzing them for the presence of pollutants such
    as asbestos, radiation, mercury and other metals, pesticides, PCBs, or
    bacteria that might create health hazards. They have found no evidence
    of any significant public health hazard to residents or visitors to the
    New York metropolitan area.
        ``EPA's website now has more detailed information on environmental
    monitoring information in New York City that should be very reassuring
    to residents, tourists and workers, and we will continue to update that
    site with information as it becomes available'' said EPA Administrator
    Whitman. ``Our data show that contaminant levels are low or
    nonexistent, and are generally confined to the Trade Center site. There
    is no need for concern among the general public, but residents and
    business owners should follow recommended procedures for cleaning up
    homes and businesses if dust has entered.''
        OSHA Administrator John Henshaw confirmed that workers on the site
    should take appropriate steps to protect themselves, but there is no
    threat to public health. ``We have more than 200 staffers involved in a
    round-the-clock effort, continually monitoring conditions to ensure the
    safety and health of workers,'' Administrator Henshaw said. ``It is
    important for workers involved in the recovery and clean up to wear
    protective equipment as potential hazards and conditions are constantly
    changing at the site; however, our samples indicate there is no
    evidence of significant levels of airborne asbestos or other
    contaminants beyond the disaster site itself.''
        On the whole, despite questions about potential contaminants from
    the Trade Center site, EPA and OSHA data indicates there is no cause
    for general public concern. Residents and workers returning to
    buildings where dust from the Trade Center has entered the building
    should follow proper procedures in cleaning buildings, but the general
    public should feel very reassured about the extensive environmental
    monitoring data that has been collected and analyzed. Rescue and
    recovery crews working on the Trade Center site should take steps to
    protect themselves from potential exposure to contaminants by using
    respirators and washing stations as recommended by EPA and OSHA.
        In total, EPA and OSHA have taken 835 ambient air samples in the
    New York City metropolitan area. EPA is currently collecting data from
    16 fixed air monitors at Ground Zero and in the residential and
    business districts around the site, and both EPA and OSHA are using
    portable sampling equipment to collect data from a range of locations
    throughout the area.
        Out of a total of 442 air samples EPA has taken at Ground Zero and
    in the immediate area, only 27 had levels of asbestos above the
    standard EPA uses to determine if children can re-enter a school after
    asbestos has been removed a stringent standard based upon assumptions
    of long-term exposure. OSHA has analyzed 67 air samples from the same
    area, and all were below the OSHA workplace standard for asbestos.
        All 54 air samples from EPA's four monitors in New Jersey found no
    levels above EPA's standard. Another 162 samples were taken from EPA's
    monitors at the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, where debris
    from the World Trade Center is being taken; only two exceeded EPA's
    standard.
        Of 177 bulk dust and debris samples collected by EPA and OSHA and
    analyzed for asbestos, 48 had levels over 1 percent, the level EPA and
    OSHA use to define asbestos-containing material. Although early samples
    from water runoff into the Hudson and East Rivers showed some elevated
    levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin, asbestos and
    metals, recent results find non-detectable levels of asbestos, and PCBs
    and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals below the level
    of concern.
        EPA and OSHA have also conducted sampling for the presence of
    metals (lead, iron oxide, zinc oxide, copper and beryllium) at Ground
    Zero and in surrounding areas. None of the levels of these metals have
    exceeded OSHA limits.
        Although EPA has measured dioxin levels in and around the World
    Trade Center site that were at or above EPA's level for taking action,
    the risk from dioxin is based on long-term exposure. EPA and OSHA
    expect levels to diminish as soon as the remaining fires on the site
    are extinguished.
        Of the 36 samples of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) taken around
    Ground Zero to assist response workers in determining the appropriate
    level of respiratory protection, several samples have been above the
    OSHA standard for workers. None presented an immediate risk to workers,
    and the levels are expected to decline when the fires are out.
        Fact sheets with more specific information for various parts of the
    New York City metropolitan area are available:
         Environmental Information from Ground Zero at the World
    Trade Center Site.
         Environmental Information from Lower Manhattan for
    Residents, Area.
         Employees and Local Business Owners.
         Other Environmental Issues Related to the Attack on the
    World Trade Center.
            latest available daily environmental monitoring summary
        Resources on the World Wide Web:
         U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health
    Administration.
         New York City Department of Health.
         U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
                                 ATTACHMENT 11
                U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2,
                                           Edison, NY, October 5, 2001.
    Mr. Kelly R. McKinney, Associate Commissioner,
    Bureau of Regulatory and Environmental Health Services,
    New York, NY.
        Dear Mr. McKinney: Health and safety concerns for workers as the
    World Trade Center Disaster Site (WTC) has been a concern from the
    beginning of the response. In addition to standard construction/
    demolition site safety concerns, this Site also poses threats to
    workers related to potential exposure to hazardous substances. Sources
    of hazardous substances include (1) building materials from the
    destroyed buildings (primarily asbestos), (2) hazardous materials that
    were stored in the buildings (refrigerants, hazardous wastes, ethylene
    glycol, compressed gas cylinders, etc.), and (3) products of combustion
    being emitted from the fires that continue to burn within the debris
    piles. EPA, along with a number of other Federal, State and your
    agency, has been gathering information about these threats to worker
    health. Air sampling by EPA and others indicates that asbestos and
    other contaminants are present in the air at the WTC. EPA has
    recommended, and continues to recommend, that workers at the Site were
    respiratory protection.
        In addition, EPA has recommended, and continues to recommend, that
    workers utilize personal protective equipment and the personnel wash
    stations to prevent the spread of asbestos and other hazardous
    substances from the WTC to their homes, cars, public transportation,
    food service, locations, etc. We have observed very inconsistent
    compliance with our recommendations, however, we do not have authority
    to enforce the worker health and safety policies for non-EPA/USCG
    employees. Therefore, EPA believes the Incident Commander should adopt
    and enforce a site-wide Health and Safety Plan. If there is anything I
    can do to assist you concerning this matter, please feel free to call
    me at (732) 321-6656.
                Sincerely yours,
                                          Bruce Sprague, Chief,
                                        Response and Prevention Branch.
                                   __________
                                 ATTACHMENT 12
                               U.S. EPA Region 2
                                      NEWS
      EPA Environmental Monitoring Data Related to the World Trade Center
                     Disaster Response Available to Public
      epa invites public to new information repository in lower manhattan
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, October 30, 2001

        (#01132) NEW YORK, NY--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
    established an information repository containing environmental
    monitoring data gathered in response to the World Trade Center
    disaster. The information is available at the EPA library located at
    290 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, which is the location of the agency's
    regional offices.
        EPA began its environmental monitoring work on September 11th,
    shortly after the terrorist attacks occurred. Since then, the Agency
    has done extensive sampling and analysis of air quality and dust
    throughout Lower Manhattan and other potentially impacted areas,
    including Brooklyn, Staten Island and northern New Jersey. EPA also
    gathered data on drinking water and river water and sediments. All of
    this data is updated Monday through Friday and is available at EPA's
    regional library located on the 16th Floor at 290 Broadway in Lower
    Manhattan. The library is open to the public Monday through Thursday
    from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
        ``We continue to closely monitor air quality and other
    environmental conditions in and around Ground Zero,'' said William J.
    Muszynski, EPA Acting Regional Administrator. ``While we have
    fortunately not found levels of contaminants that pose a significant
    health risk to the general public, our efforts to monitor the area and
    keep the public informed of our findings have not waned. We welcome all
    concerned members of the public to our Lower Manhattan offices to
    review the information we've gathered and to visit our Web site.''
        Much of EPA's monitoring data, including data maps and general
    environmental summaries, is available at EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov.

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                 ATTACHMENT 14
                 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
                                      News
    FOR RELEASE: Monday, March 25, 2002
     federal, state and city agencies announce actions for lower manhattan
                                  air quality
        (#02114) New York, NY.--Today the Environmental Protection Agency
    (EPA), along with New York City and other Federal and State agencies,
    announced additional actions to address outdoor and indoor air quality.
    As part of the overall effort to continue to protect air quality, DEP
    will remove residual debris from rooftops and facades with EPA's
    guidance. OSHA will work in a coordinated effort with the City and EPA
    to ensure the safety and health of the workers performing this
    cleaning.
        EPA and New York City will expand the program to remove residual
    debris from rooftops and facades around the World Trade Center site. In
    addition, agencies will work to build on an indoor air study conducted
    in November and December. These actions are a result of the
    collaborative efforts of the EPA Administrator Christie Whitman's Task
    Force on Indoor Air and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Lower
    Manhattan Air Quality Task Force.
        ``Actions speak louder than words, and these actions will help
    increase confidence about outdoor and indoor air quality,'' said Jane
    Kenny, EPA Regional Administrator. ``We have been working hand-in-hand
    with the city to resolve the public's health concerns.''
        ``I am extremely pleased that EPA continues to work with the City
    to address concerns regarding air quality in Lower Manhattan,'' said
    incoming DEP Commissioner Christopher Ward.
        Tests conducted since September 11th have indicated that there is
    no evidence of significant long-term health risks to residents and
    office workers from the air quality in Lower Manhattan. Inspectors from
    the City and EPA have surveyed area rooftops and facades identifying
    buildings where residual debris remains. As removal of debris from the
    World Trade Center site nears completion, city, State and Federal
    agencies are committed to continuing to protect and improve the
    downtown environment.
        City, State and Federal health and environmental agencies are
    working collaboratively to continue to assess the cleaning that was
    conducted and determine testing criteria. Building on earlier tests,
    EPA will conduct field work to assess cleanup techniques and provide
    information for ongoing cleaning. The Agency for Toxic Substances and
    Disease Registry, with support from the New York City Department of
    Health and EPA, is planning to expand the indoor air study conducted in
    December 2001.
        As these projects are developed, the Federal Emergency Management
    Agency (FEMA) will fund components that are eligible under its
    programs. As the agency responsible for coordinating Federal assistance
    in support of the city's long-term recovery efforts, FEMA is working
    closely with all concerned agencies.
        Both the EPA and New York City Task Forces will work cooperatively
    to continue to protect air quality. The Lower Manhattan Air Quality
    Hotline (212-221-8635) will continue to be the principal point of
    information dissemination to businesses, residents and visitors
    regarding air quality and environmental issues in and around the World
    Trade Center site. The City's Task Force will also coordinate
    additional community outreach and local initiatives as part of the
    broader effort to build public confidence in the downtown environment.
        For more information, call the City's Lower Manhattan Air Quality
    Hotline at 212-221-8635 between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through
    Friday. In addition, information can be found on: EPA's Web site at:
    www.epa.gov; OSHA's Web site at: www.osha.gov; NYC DOH's Web site at:
    www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doh/home.htm; and NYCDEDP's Web site at:
    www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/airmonit.html.