Paper: EPA Erred in Ground Zero Air Claim
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -
Ground Zero tests by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the
days immediately after the World Trade Center collapse did not
support the agency's own statements the air around the site was safe
to breathe, a newspaper reported.
A report by the EPA's Office of Inspector General said the agency
reached its conclusion on the safety of the air using a cancer risk
level 100 times greater than what it normally considers acceptable
for public exposure to toxic contaminants.
The status report, obtained by The Sacramento Bee, supports the
views of some doctors and public health advocates who evaluated
thousands of firefighters, volunteers, demolition workers and
laborers working on the site.
"To say that it's safe, which suggests no risk, we just knew that
was wrong," said Jonathan Bennett, a spokesman for the New York
Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.
The status report summarizes preliminary conclusions. It is
expected to be published in May and a spokesman for the inspector
general said the findings could change before publication. The
Office of Inspector General is an independent investigative office
that reports directly to Congress.
Of 3,500 Ground Zero workers screened nearly a year after the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, more than half continued to suffer from
lung, ear, nose and throat problems, according to a study released
in January by Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.
About 40,000 workers were involved in the rescue, recovery and
cleanup efforts at the site.
The yearlong investigation by the Office of Inspector General
will determine whether air pollution monitoring data from the
collapse site and surrounding areas supports what the EPA told the
public about the health risks.
EPA officials declined comment Friday.
"It is inappropriate for the EPA to be commenting on a document
that is not final and that is being done independently," said Lisa
Harrison, the agency's press secretary.
The EPA has come under criticism from inside and outside the
agency over its public pronouncements on air quality around Ground
Zero. 2003-03-17 12:06:54
GMT
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