After weeks of debate over dry and state budgets, which had to he retooled after the World Trade Center attacks, environmental concerns have emerged as potentially an even greater crisis. And there’s plenty of confusion over the hazards resulting from the collapse of the Twin Towers and surrounding buildings even though – or perhaps because – both the EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have tested air and water contamination levels and deemed them safe. Coughing among rescue workers: the emergence of “World Trade Center Syndrome.” including such symptoms as severe asthma, sinus infectious and acute lung trauma: a growing number of firefighters on medical leave; and the filing of medical claims against the city – they’ve all become part of the scenarios.
Among the substances escaping from the 1.2 million tons of debris were freon, lead, mercury, chromium, phosgene (mustard gas), hydrogen gas, asbestos, benzene. dioxin and PCBs, according to Curtis Massey of Massey Disaster Planning, Virginia Beach, VA. He volunteered his services during the first 10 days after the disaster and was one of the first to raise a red flag about the hazmat dangers.
That brew of chemicals can, obviously, be highly toxic. Government officials assert that the exposures – and therefore the risks – have been low. But private researchers, taking issue with government testing methods and asserting that government equipment is inadequate to detect tiny pulverized particles, say they’ve found significantly higher levels of asbestos and particle contamination.
Another twist: Last month some EPA officials broke ranks and spoke out about the dangers that they feel persist at Ground Zero.
“I can understand, to some degree, the need to screen some of the health information from the public so as not to create additional trauma after the buildings collapsed,” says Massey, himself a former fire officer. “But at a certain point, the public has a right to know what the true facts are concerning this issue. Just like the victim relief funds that raised a controversy, if you’re not honest with people this time, next time the same level of faith and confidence simply won’t exist.”
“I just don’t understand what would be gained by allowing people to he exposed to what’s coming out at ground zero without at least advising them of the ramifications,” Massey continues. “As this whole situation plays out over the next 10 to 15 years, we could easily see the collateral fatality count of the recovery and cleanup exceed that of September 11th itself. I see that as an even greater tragedy, because these people are heroes and should be afforded a higher degree of protection and disclosure.”