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Rachel V Thomas

25 Years After 9/11: What New Records Reveal About Toxic Air In New York

Toxic air persisted for months after the fatal 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, which killed more than 2,000 people, even as officials played down the health risks at Ground Zero in New York’s Manhattan, according to a trove of newly released files.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani today released more than 170,000 documents from government agencies related to post-9/11 air quality and health risks. He accused officials of lying to the public about the dangers of toxic air at Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center towers collapsed in 2001.

“People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,” Mamdani said at a news conference with survivors.

“As the years pass and the human toll grows, we reckon with the cost of September 11th whenever another New Yorker is stolen from us too soon. Now, close to 25 years later, more people have died from 9/11-related illnesses than were killed on the day itself.

“The very least our city owes the families, survivors and first responders whose lives were forever changed by the September 11th attacks is transparency and accountability. That is why I am proud that our administration has launched the City’s first public records portal dedicated to the environmental and health impacts of 9/11 and reached a settlement in these lawsuits,” said Mayor Mamdani.

The files, released Tuesday and made available through an online portal, include 68 boxes of documents that were discovered last year, the Harding Memo and records concerning World Trade Center 7.

The 68 boxes had not been located until 2025, despite multiple Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests.

One key document is the October 2001 “Harding Memo”, in which an aide warned former Deputy Mayor Robert Harding, who served under then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, that the city could face as many as 35,000 legal claims over its response to the attacks.

The memo states that the city could face lawsuits because health advisories had caused individuals “to return to the area too soon (causing toxic exposure or emotional harm).”

“There was poison in the air and on the ground and in the window sills and in your air conditioners and covering your pets and your clothes, and it stayed there for months. Everyone knew. And now it's very clear that the city knew as well,” said advocate Jon Stewart, CBS News reported.

Days after the attacks, city and federal officials, including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), declared that the air near the Twin Towers was safe. Subsequent research, however, found that people had been exposed to toxic chemicals.

Christine Todd Whitman, who headed the EPA at the time, later apologized for the declaration, saying the agency “did the very best we could at the time with the knowledge we had,” BBC reported.

In Lower Manhattan, the plane crashes and subsequent collapse of the Twin Towers created massive dust clouds that filled the air. Hundreds of highly populated city blocks were covered with ash, debris and harmful particles, including asbestos, silica, metals, concrete and glass.

According to the US CDC, fires within the debris pile and the collapse of 7 World Trade Center continued to burn through the end of December 2001, with flare-ups continuing into 2002. The fires released carcinogenic combustion by-products, while contaminants remained in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn for an undetermined period after 9/11.

Responders, local workers, residents, students and others faced potential exposure in the early days and in the months that followed. They could have been exposed to residual materials indoors and outdoors, as well as toxic gases, smoke, vapozrs and combustion by-products from continuing fires.

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Toxic air persisted for months after the fatal 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, which killed more than 2,000 people, even as officials played down the health risks at Ground Zero in New York’s Manhattan, according to a trove of newly released files.New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani today released more than 170,000 documents from government agencies related to post-9/11 air quality and health risks. He accused officials of lying to the public about the dangers of toxic air at Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center towers collapsed in 2001.“People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,” Mamdani said at a news conference with survivors.“As the years pass and the human toll grows, we reckon with the cost of September 11th whenever another New Yorker is stolen from us too soon. Now, close to 25 years later, more people have died from 9/11-related illnesses than were killed on the day itself.“The very least our city owes the families, survivors and first responders whose lives were forever changed by the September 11th attacks is transparency and accountability. That is why I am proud that our administration has launched the City’s first public records portal dedicated to the environmental and health impacts of 9/11 and reached a settlement in these lawsuits,” said Mayor Mamdani. What Do the Documents Reveal?The files, released Tuesday and made available through an online portal, include 68 boxes of documents that were discovered last year, the Harding Memo and records concerning World Trade Center 7.The 68 boxes had not been located until 2025, despite multiple Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests.One key document is the October 2001 “Harding Memo”, in which an aide warned former Deputy Mayor Robert Harding, who served under then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, that the city could face as many as 35,000 legal claims over its response to the attacks.The memo states that the city could face lawsuits because health advisories had caused individuals “to return to the area too soon (causing toxic exposure or emotional harm).”“There was poison in the air and on the ground and in the window sills and in your air conditioners and covering your pets and your clothes, and it stayed there for months. Everyone knew. And now it's very clear that the city knew as well,” said advocate Jon Stewart, CBS News reported.Days after the attacks, city and federal officials, including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), declared that the air near the Twin Towers was safe. Subsequent research, however, found that people had been exposed to toxic chemicals.Christine Todd Whitman, who headed the EPA at the time, later apologized for the declaration, saying the agency “did the very best we could at the time with the knowledge we had,” BBC reported.What Happened On 9/11?In Lower Manhattan, the plane crashes and subsequent collapse of the Twin Towers created massive dust clouds that filled the air. Hundreds of highly populated city blocks were covered with ash, debris and harmful particles, including asbestos, silica, metals, concrete and glass.According to the US CDC, fires within the debris pile and the collapse of 7 World Trade Center continued to burn through the end of December 2001, with flare-ups continuing into 2002. The fires released carcinogenic combustion by-products, while contaminants remained in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn for an undetermined period after 9/11.Responders, local workers, residents, students and others faced potential exposure in the early days and in the months that followed. They could have been exposed to residual materials indoors and outdoors, as well as toxic gases, smoke, vapozrs and combustion by-products from continuing fires.

25 years after 9 11: what new records reveal about toxic air in new york

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