Recent additions to this section

New York CIty 9/11 Health - a public information web site of the New York CIty Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. SIte provides links to health treatment and monitoring services and health research findings about the different groups of people who were affected by 9/11 including rescue and recovery workers, residents, children, city employees and others.

EPA’S Response to 9/11 and Lessons Learned for Future Emergency Preparedness - Testimony of David M. Newman, M.A., M.S., New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health before United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Superfund and Environmental Health Subcommittee, June 20, 2007

NYCOSH testimony in support of City Council Resolution 738, April 19, 2007

New York City Council Resolution No. 738, May 9, 2007

100 Days Remain for 9/11-Related Workers’ Compensation Program; Out of at Least 100,000 Eligible, Fewer than 14,000 Have Registered

NYCOSH testimony on "9/11 Health and Environmental Impacts for Residents and Responders," April 23, 2007

Addressing the Health Impacts of 9-11: Report and Recommendations to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, February 13, 2007

NYCOSH Assessment of City University of New York's Plans for Demolition of Fiterman Hall, December 20, 2006

City University of New York Response to NYCOSH Assessment of Fiterman Hall Demolition Plan, January 22, 2007

Testimony before the U. S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Hearing on The Long-Term Health Impacts from September 11, March 21, 2007 by Michael R. Bloomberg, Jeffrey L. Endean, Robin Herbert, Kerry Kelly, James Melius, Joan Reibman, and Jeanne Mager Stellman

World Trade Center Health Registry Resource Guide - New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

New York City Employees’ Retirement System Notice of Participation in WTC Rescue, Recovery or Clean-Up Operations - Deadline is June 13, 2007.

This notice is for any active, vested or retired member who participated in the World Trade Center (WTC) Rescue, Recovery or Clean-Up Operations between September 11, 2001 and September 12, 2002. This is NOT an application for
Disability. This is only a notice to NYCERS that you believe that due to your participation you have or may develop a health condition or impairment. If you meet the qualifications under the WTC Disability Law, you will be required to file
a disability application. Please complete all of the information below and have it notarized and return this form with NYCERS no later than June 13, 2007. For a copy of the notice, click here.

New York City Employees’ Retirement System World Trade Center Disability Law Fact Sheet

9/11-related news archive, January 2007 - IV

New Law Sets up
Workers’ Compensation Registry for 9/11 Responders and Cleanup Workers, Eliminating
Normal 2-year Filing Deadline!

Registrants who develop 9/11-related illness at any time will be eligible for compensation

All 9/11 rescue, recovery and cleanup workers are eligible, and should register even if not sick to protect their rights to compensation if and when they become sick. Click here for details.

Trilingual

	Nycosh Emigranci Pracujacy Podczas 9/11Projekt Dotyczacy Zdrowia I Edukacji
	El Proyecto de NYCOSH para la Salud y Educación de los Trabadores Immigrantes del 9/11
	NYCOSH 9/11 Immigrant Worker Health and Education Project

Amendment to the New York State Workers' Compensation Law to permit late filing of 9/11-related claims

Comments of David M. Newman, M.A., M.S., NYCOSH Industrial Hygienist, prepared for April 28, 2006 Meeting with Dr. John Howard, Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Federal Coordinator for 9/11 Health Issues

Health and compensation information for immigrant 9/11 cleanup workers

NYCOSH Testimony for New York City Council Committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Re: Oversight - EPA’S Cleanup of WTC Dust Contaminants in Residences and Offices in Lower Manhattan Four Years Later - Status of Progress, February 27, 2006

Occupational and environmental health on the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Final Report of the Peer Review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Final Report on the World Trade Center (WTC) Dust Screening Study
bY Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, October 2005

Hundreds of the nation’s leading organizations and experts call on Congress for immediate action to protect Gulf Coast cleanup workers from serious health hazards -- a letter endorsed by 124 organizations and 104 individuals, sent to every Member of Congress on October 6, 2005.

Gulf Coast cleanup workers must be protected from serious health hazards: Hundreds of the nation’s leading organizations and experts call on Congress for immediate action -- a press release issued by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, October 6, 2005

Factsheets and non-governmental documents

• Comments by Dave Newman Regarding the Exclusion of Employees and Employers from "Test and Clean" Program, July 15, 2005
  
  
• Comments by Dave Newman Regarding the Proposed Peer Review Process of the WTC Signature June 7, 2005
  
  
• Comments by Dave Newman on EPA's Draft Final Sampling Program to Determine the Extent of World Trade Center Impacts to the Indoor Envionrment May 27, 2005
  
  
• Comments of David M. Newman to EPA World Trade Center Expert Technical Review Panel re EPA Downtown Sampling Plan, March 1, 2005
  
  
• At least three WTC-contaminated buildings in Lower Manhattan are slated for imminent demolition. The demolition of heavily contaminated high-rise buildings in a densely populated environment is unprecedented and potentially very hazardous. For a perspective on the need for caution, click here to read the testimony NYCOSH industrial hygienist David Newman at the February 17, 2005 hearing of the New York City Council's Committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment.
  
  
• EPA plans to conduct comprehensive environmental testing in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn to determine the extent of any remaining 9/11 contamination. Members of the EPA WTC Expert Technical Review Panel submitted comments on the draft plan. Click here to read the comments of NYCOSH industrial hygienist David Newman, who serves on the EPA panel.
  
  
• WTC Community/Labor Coalition
  
  
• WTC Community-labor Coalition Comments on EPA’s “Draft Proposed Sampling Program to Determine Extent of World Trade Center Impacts to the Indoor Environment” including the Synthesis Report of the Expert Advisory Committee, January 18, 2005
  
  
• Health and Safety Plan for the 130 Liberty Street Building, Phase I Deconstruction Project. Prepared for Gilbane Building Company. Prepared by: Weston Solutions, Inc. December 10, 2004.
  
  
• Draft Specifications for Tearout and Teardown of Deutsche Bank Building 130 Liberty Street. Prepared for: Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch LLP by John R. Kominsky, M.Sc., CIH, CSP, CHMM, ROH Roger G. Morse AIA Environmental Quality Management, Inc. Morse Associates, and R. J. Lee Group. DRAFT December 13, 2003
  
  
• Health and Safety Plan for Protection Against Environmental Contaminants at Deutsche Bank Building. Prepared by: RJ Lee Group, Inc., March 18, 2003
  
  
• Seven Principles Letter to the EPA from the Lower Manhattan Community (October 26, 2004) with a link to the EPA response
  
  
• "Gold Standard" for Remediation of WTC Contaminations
  
  
• Deadlines for WTC compensation claims
  
  
• The World Trade Center Health Registry: What You Need to Know
  
  
• Cleaning Up Indoor Dust and Debris in the World Trade Center Area, Factsheet 4
  
  
• Cleaning Up Indoor Dust and Debris in the World Trade Center Area, Factsheet 4, Spanish
  
  
• Victims of the World Trade Center catastrophe are eligible for many kinds of compensation, Factsheet 2
  
  
• World Trade Center Catastrophe Worker Health Fact Sheet 1
  
• World Trade Center Catastrophe Worker Health Fact Sheet 1, Spanish

News

World Trade Center catastrophe safety and health links and news

By Ginger Adams Otis
The Chief
July 8, 2005

A Retired Emergency Medical Technician who was one of the first rescue workers to arrive at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 passed away in his Long Island home June 23 from what colleagues believe was an ailment related to his work there.

Union officials said that initial medical reports indicated he died from extreme pulmonary distress. Complete autopsy results are expected in a few days.

‘Coughed Up Gravel’

EMT Tim Keller, 41, got to Ground Zero a few minutes after the second plane hit and didn’t leave until after midnight. He was present for the collapse of both Twin Towers and worked to salvage survivors from the wreckage. He was the first EMS worker to die from prolonged health problems related to 9/11.

For several days after his work at Ground Zero, Mr. Keller coughed up chunks of material he breathed in on the site, said Marianne Pizzitola, pension coordinator for Uniformed EMTs and Paramedics Local 2507.

“You wouldn’t believe how much sooty, dark stuff would come out of him,” she said. “He’d cough up actual gravel. It was awful. His lungs were completely destroyed by the toxins he inhaled.”

The nonsmoking EMT quickly developed a persistent, nagging throat irritation. Soon it progressed into full-blown coughing fits that colleagues described as completely debilitating. He didn’t retire from the Fire Department until November 2004, but had deteriorated rapidly after 9/11, said Ms. Pizzitola.

‘Kept Turning Blue’

“He’d show up for work because he couldn’t afford not to,” she said. “He’d be hacking up a lung, all day. He couldn’t walk 100 feet without turning blue. They had him on oxygen, steroids, four or five different pulmonary meds. At night he had to be hooked up to a machine because he’d stop breathing otherwise. But he stayed on the job as long as he could to feed his family.”

The FDNY awarded Mr. Keller a three-quarter disability pension in December 2004, but because of paperwork delays from the New York Employees’ Retirement System, he’d been without pay for several months and had only recently begun receiving monthly stipends of $350. His full disability payments, which would have been around $2,000 a month, according to the union, hadn’t kicked in at the time of his death.

Mr. Keller was unable to get Social Security and was also denied benefits from the Sept. 11 victims’ fund.

‘We’ll Help His Family’

“We are deeply saddened by Tim’s passing,” said Local 2507 President Pat Bahnken. “It is our intention to see that his family receives the same kind of support that families get from line-of-duty deaths.”

Mr. Keller is survived by two sons, ages 18 and 3, and his former wife, with whom he maintained close contact.

Ms. Pizzitola said she is working with 20 other union members who have applied for three-quarter disability pensions for injuries or illnesses related to 9/11. Fifteen have pulmonary sicknesses, she reported, and five are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Another dozen EMS workers have fallen ill with respiratory illnesses, but are afraid to leave their jobs because they may not be awarded a pension, she said.

Not Assured of Pension

“The FDNY is pretty good about acknowledging the disabilities,” she noted. “But the NYCERS board may still deny them a pension, so a lot of workers don’t want to risk it. They’ll hold on as long as they can. I’m also helping a few that have been denied a pension and are now on Worker’s Compensation, pending termination from the FDNY under Section 71 of Civil Service Law that says the department can fire employees who miss 12 consecutive months for a service-connected disability.”

The day Mr. Keller died a group of his colleagues traveled to Washington to ask members of Congress to restore $125 million in Federal aid to the city that the Bush Administration revoked last month.

Congress agreed to find a way to return the $125 million that was meant to help 9/11 survivors, but the administration’s revised plan was included in the appropriations bill that was approved that day.

• After 9/11, ‘From a Public Health Perspective, We Failed Horribly’ (October 11, 2004)
  
  
• Pollution and Deception at Ground Zero (September 21, 2004)
  
  
• Sept. Hearing Planned to Boost Support for Bill to Provide Health Care for Workers, Residents Exposed to World Trade Center Dust (July 8, 2004)
  
  
• EPA Expert Advisory Panel Holds First Meeting on 9/11 Contamination (April 8, 2004)
  
  
• New Federal Bill Would Provide Health Care to Wider Range of Workers and Residents Exposed to World Trade Center Dust (April 8, 2004)
  
  
• Coming Events: Second meeting of EPA's World Trade Center Technical Review Panel (April 8, 2004)
  
  
• EPA Appoints Expert Technical Review Panel to Study Health Effects of 9/11(March 16, 2004)
  
  
• Class-Action Lawsuit Charges EPA with "A Shockingly Deliberate Indifference to Human Health" (March 16, 2004)
  
  
• Injured Workers Deluge September 11 Victim Compensation Fund with Claims (January 12, 2004)
  
  
• Congressmembers Look Forward to Learning Details of EPA/White House 9/11 Actions (November 25, 2003)
  
  
• Political Storm Develops after EPA Inspector General Reports that White House Downplayed Post-9/11 Health Hazards in Lower Manhattan (September 24, 2003)
  
  
• NYCOSH, September 15, 2003 press release: Concerned Residents and Workers Demand the Truth About Toxic Hazards from the WTC Attack and Proper Cleanup
  
  
• Leaked Report Says EPA Soft-Pedaled 9/11 Health Hazards at Urging of White House (August 18, 2003)
  
  
• Pregnant Women Exposed to Polluted WTC Air Gave Birth to Abnormally Small Babies (August 18, 2003)
  
  
• Deadlines Draw Near for Filing Ground Zero-related Compensation Claims (July 29, 2003)
  
  
• Columbia University Seeks Volunteers for World Trade Center Evacuation Study (July 3, 2003)
  
  
• World Trade Center Workers and Volunteers Stiffed by Government (June 11, 2003)
  
  
• NYCOSH Hosts Worker Memorial Day Congressional Hearing Monday, April 28 (April 25, 2003)
  
  
• 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Expands Eligibility Requirements (April 25, 2003)
  
  
• Internal EPA Document Reveals Agency Shortcomings in Lower Manhattan (March 28, 2003)
  
  
• Rep. Nadler, NYCOSH and Unions Demand EPA Cleanup of Lower Manhattan Workplaces (February 18, 2003)
  
  
• EPA Lower Manhattan Cleanup is Sharply Criticized (October 28, 2002)
  
  
• NYCOSH and Union Coalition Press EPA for Expanded Manhattan Cleanup (October 28, 2002)
  
  
• Two Reports Disclose Significant Health Problems Among Lower Manhattan Workers (September 5, 2002)
  
  
• EPA Cleanup Gears Up Amid Widespread Criticism (August 22, 2002)
  
  
• President Bush Vetoes Spending $90 Million for WTC Medical Monitoring (August 22, 2002)
  
  
• ATSDR/NYC Health Department to Create a Registry (July 25, 2002)
  
  
• Eight Months After World Trade Center Catastrophe, EPA Plans to Oversee Professional Cleanup of Lower Manhattan Residences (May 17, 2002)
  
  
• Most Cars Caught in WTC Collapse Will Be Destroyed, but Others Face Uncertain Fate (May 17, 2002)
  
  
• Scammers Exploit Lower Manhattan Environmental Fears (May 17, 2002)
  NYCOSH Statement Concerning the EPA's May 8, 2002 Announcement
  
  
• May 9 Conference - Beyond September 11: Implications for Environmental and Public Health Policy (April 12, 2002)
  
  
• OSHA Institutes Local Emphasis Program Near Ground Zero; Says WTC Dust Must Be Presumed to Contain Asbestos (March 1, 2002)
  
  
• NYCOSH Testifies at EPA Ombudsman Hearing in Manhattan (February 23, 2002)
  
  
• NYCOSH February 8, 2002 Response to NYC Department of Health Press Release on Lower Manhattan Air
  
  
• As the World Trade Center Clean-Up Continues, Health Concerns Grow (January 14, 2002)
  
  
• Environmental Law Implications of the World Trade Center Disaster,
  Michael B. Gerrard (December 2001)
  
  
• Cleaning up Indoor Dust and Debris in the World Trade Center Area (December 6, 2001)
  
  
• Disaster Officials Offer Cleanup Tips For Affected WTC Victims (October 9, 2001)
  
  
• The Catastrophe, Week 4 (October 5, 2001)
  
  
• Will the WTC Catastrophe Victims Be Able to Collect Disaster Benefits? (October 5, 2001)
  
  
• Victims of the World Trade Center Catastrophe Are Eligible for Many Kinds of Compensation (September 27, 2001)
  
  
• The Catastrophe at the World Trade Center (September 17, 2001)
  

Government documents

• Three government agencies — the Environmental Protection Agency, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Labor — write detailed criticisms of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's plan for the demoltion of 130 Liberty Street.
  
  
• Governor and Mayor Announce Creation of Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, November 22, 2004
  
  
• OSHA "Standard Interpretation letter"

Compensation

• Deadlines draw near for filing Ground Zero-related compensation claims
  
  
• 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Expands Eligibility to Include Injured Rescue Workers and Volunteers

Testimony

• NYCOSH testimony on post-9/11 Lower Manhattan contamination,
  March 29, 2004
  
  
• NYCOSH testimony: Workers Memorial Day, April 28, 2003
  
  
• Testimony of US Representative Jerrold Nadler, April 12, 2002
  
  
• NYCOSH testimony the the New York City Council Joint Meeting of Committees on Health, the Environment, and Lower Manhattan Redevelopment, March 8, 2002.
  
  
• CBNS Testimony- Center for the Biology of Natural Systems- Public health, not air quality, at risk in lower Manhattan,  March 8, 2002
  
  
• NYCOSH Testimony at the EPA Ombudsman Investigative Hearing on the Environmental and Public Health Impact of the World Trade Center Attack, February 23, 2002
  
  
• The New York City Council Committee of Environmental Protection invited NYCOSH to deliver testimony concerning the ongoing hazards created by the WTC collapse. November 8, 2001
  
  
• NYCOSH calls for stronger protection of workers who clean up hazardous World Trade Center dust, November 8, 2001

NYCOSH's 9/11-related work is conducted in partnership with the United Church of Christ's National Disaster Ministries, with additional support from the September 11th Fund created by the United Way of New York City and the New York Community Trust.