Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday that the city has released more than 170,000 pages of documents related to air quality after the September 11 attacks. These records show that city leaders at the time were aware the air around Ground Zero was dangerous to breathe, even though they told the public otherwise. Mamdani said the documents reveal how city officials tried to reduce their legal responsibility for the situation.
The release comes after two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch against New York City were settled, according to The Hill. At a press conference, Mamdani stood beside family members of those who died on September 11 and comedian Jon Stewart, who has long supported victims and first responders, according to a report from americanbazaaronline.com. He noted that more people have died from health issues related to the attacks than were killed on the day itself. Mamdani criticized past mayors for not being transparent about what happened in the days after the towers collapsed.
He said the documents show that city leaders knew about asbestos and other harmful materials in the air, which caused long-term health problems, san.com reported. The release includes a memo known as the ‘Harding Memo,’ which warned about possible lawsuits over exposure to toxic air. Jon Stewart said that leaders lied to people who were already traumatized and told them it was safe to breathe in the air.
The documents also show that Rep. Jerrold Nadler raised concerns about asbestos levels in buildings near Ground Zero as early as February 2002. Nadler said he had warned officials about the health risks from the toxins in the air and that he was trying to protect the community.
The World Trade Center Health Program has enrolled more than 140,000 people from all 50 states since its creation in 2011. About 49,000 of those enrolled have been diagnosed with certified WTC-related cancers.
Some people returned to work at Ground Zero even months after the towers fell, despite the area still being dusty and unsafe. Nadler said that some workers went back to buildings like the Municipal Building even before it was cleaned up.
Mamdani emphasized that more people may qualify for help than are currently enrolled in the health program. He said the city has committed over $34 million to create a public portal where residents can access these records. The mayor added that this effort is part of a larger push for government transparency that was missing for years.
He said that past mayors chose to hide information instead of answering questions from the public. More documents are expected to be released in the coming year as part of this effort. The city is also spending money to ensure that people can access these records through a public portal.
IMAGE: White House / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)