Technology and Science08 September, 20263 min read
Zohran Mamdani Releases 170,000 9/11 Air Quality Documents, Citing Toxic Air Lies
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Mamdani releases more than 170,000 pages of post-9/11 air-quality records. Documents show officials knew Ground Zero air was toxic shortly after.
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9/11 Air Records Released
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released tens of thousands of long-guarded city documents on 9/11 air quality, with his office releasing the first 170,000 pages of records via an online portal. The documents include an October 2001 memo known as the "Harding Memo" from then-Deputy Mayor Robert Harding, and ABC News said it indicated the city knew of the air quality dangers and the legal liability even through publicly the city declared the air was safe. ABC News also reported that another released document shows the presence of asbestos on the facade ledge of 15 John Street, away from Ground Zero, months after the attacks, in July 2002.
“The mayor's office released the first 170,000 pages of records via an online portal.”
Mamdani said at the news conference, "People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air," and the BBC reported that the 170,000 documents show asbestos was found "nearly everywhere" they tested near Ground Zero. The city said it will continue to use its resources to promote two federal programs established under the Zadroga Act: the World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.
Toxicity, Lawsuits, and Quotes
The release followed litigation brought by 9/11 Health Watch, which sued the city to force publication of the records, and ABC News said the city announced a settlement of two lawsuits tied to the advocacy group. ABC7 New York reported that the records, including air quality reports, contamination data and correspondence among city officials, were stored in 68 boxes in a city office, with many only discovered last year, according to city officials. At the City Hall news conference, Mamdani said, "for a long time New Yorkers have known the truth, but they have been unable to see the truth in any document presented to them," and ABC7 New York said the mayor ordered the release of tens of thousands of documents long withheld from the public.
Jon Stewart, speaking alongside Mamdani, accused city officials of prioritizing a return to normalcy over public health concerns, saying, "There was poison in the air and on the ground and in the windowsills and in your air conditioners," while Steven Banks said the records include information about carcinogenic materials and other environmental hazards. The BBC reported that the documents include an October 2001 file known as the "Harding Memo" warning the city could face as many as 35,000 legal claims for its response to the attacks.
Stakes for Health and Memory
The BBC said illnesses related to the dust and smoke from the collapse of the Twin Towers have claimed more lives than the attacks themselves, and it reported that more documents are to be shared over the course of the next year. ABC News said nearly 6,000 people have died of 9/11 related illnesses since the attacks, according to 9/11 Health Watch, and it described many others suffering from chronic illnesses. Mamdani said the city will spend more than $34m (£25m) on the effort, and the BBC reported that City Hall said it will continue examining documents related to environmental contamination and the city's response to the attacks.
“Mamdani said City Hall will spend more than $34m (£25m) on the effort.”
Stewart said the documents show the city didn't recognise that the air everyone was breathing in downtown Manhattan was toxic until October of 2001, and he added, "So to be fair to them, they only buried that information for 25 years," while the BBC also quoted Christine Todd Whitman’s later apology that the EPA "did the very best we could at the time with the knowledge we had". In parallel, the ABC News report said Mamdani declined to directly blame any of his predecessors, saying he would "leave that to New Yorkers," but he said, "administration after administration has ignored those calling for answers and clarity."