[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
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               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

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                                                                   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.
  

                                
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