Technology and Science · 08 September, 2026 · 3 min read
Zohran Mamdani Says NYC Documents Show Asbestos Near Ground Zero After 9/11
NYC released over 170,000 pages on post-9/11 air quality and health risks. Documents indicate city officials knew about toxic conditions near Ground Zero in early aftermath.
Whether Giuliani-linked accusations are independently evidenced.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: memory Markers initiative will use public Wi-Fi to tell 9/11 stories.
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Babnet
“These accusations reflect Giuliani’s position and statements, and the provided text does not offer independent evidence to prove them.”
Translated from the original.
Read the original ↗BBC
“People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,”Read the original ↗
Babnet qualifies Giuliani-linked accusations as unproven evidence, while BBC and CBS foreground document releases and health-risk claims.
Toxic Air Documents
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said newly released files show asbestos was found "nearly everywhere" they tested near Ground Zero, and he argued that "People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air."
“asbestos was found "nearly everywhere" they tested near Ground Zero”
The BBC reported that the document release resolves a lawsuit brought by advocacy group 9/11 Health Watch, and that city officials found 68 boxes of the documents last year.B
CBS News said the city launched its public online portal Tuesday with more than 170,000 documents from across government agencies dealing with post-9/11 and health risks.
CBS News added that the files released Tuesday include records concerning World Trade Center 7, while officials assured the public the air at the time was safe.
The BBC said the documents include an October 2001 file known as the "Harding Memo," in which an aide warned former Deputy Mayor Robert Harding that the city could face as many as 35,000 legal claims for its response to the attacks.B
Harding Memo and Lawsuits
At a news conference with survivors, Mamdani said City Hall will spend more than $34m (£25m) on the effort, and he argued the documents show what the city "knew about the toxic air around Ground Zero, when they knew it, and how they acted to limit liability."
CBS News reported that the mayor announced the settlement of two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch, ending a multi-year legal battle over the records.
The BBC said Stewart told reporters the documents show the city didn't recognise that the air downtown Manhattan was toxic until October of 2001, and Stewart added sarcastically, "they only buried that information for 25 years."B
Fox News said Mamdani announced the administration would release more than 170,000 pages of documents and that the first tranche involves the 68 boxes of Department of Environmental Protection files found "a few years ago."
Fox News also quoted U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler saying the documents show City Hall, led by former Mayor Giuliani, predicted "thousands of responders and community members would face devastating long-term health consequences" from toxins.
Health Fallout and Memory
Beyond the document release, the sources describe long-running health consequences, with El Heraldo de México saying the World Trade Center Health Program identified more than 350 chemical, physical, and biological agents present at the affected sites.
“The World Trade Center Health Program identified more than 350 chemical, physical, and biological agents”
El Heraldo de México reported that, up to September 2023, a total of 29,940 responders and 7,884 survivors had chronic rhinosinusitis certified, and that 14,432 responders and 6,198 survivors had asthma certified.
The same article said 3,582 responders and 1,261 survivors had COPD worsened or newly arising related to the WTC, and it described symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and nasal and sinus problems.
Diario Libre said the anniversary includes a Ground Zero ceremony starting at 8:40 a.m., the time just before American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower, and it described two beams of light projected into the sky from the south end of Manhattan.
Diario Libre also said Beth Hillman, 59, president of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, called the day a turning point, while AFP reported that more than 9,400 people have died from illnesses related to 9/11.