Gillibrand Statement On Release Of City Records On Post-9/11 Air Quality In Lower Manhattan

Gillibrand: “There Must Be Accountability. These Records Must Be Released In Full. The 9/11 Community And New York Deserve The Truth About What Was Known And When” Today, in response to new reports underscoring that New Yorkers were misled about dangerous air quality after the terror attack in New York City on September 11, 2001, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement: “In the aftermath of 9/11, our first responders and survivors were told the same thing over and over: prove it. Prove that the dust and smoke you breathed for months at Ground Zero made you sick. Prove that your cancer, your lung disease, your colleague’s death was connected to the cleanup. Dying heroes had to travel to Washington to plead with members of Congress to look them in the eye, believe them, and help them. “I have spent my Senate career fighting for these families: passing the Zadroga Act to establish the World Trade Center Health Program, permanently funding the Victim Compensation Fund, and fixing the health program’s funding shortfall. Together, we had to fight to prove what we already knew, and what it appears some officials knew from the very beginning. “I want to thank Mayor Mamdani and his administration for releasing these initial public records regarding the toxins present during and after the attacks, and for their commitment to fully review and publicize more records over the next year. “These documents suggest officials had evidence of dangerous conditions – benzene and asbestos spiking in November 2001, and carcinogens present the following summer – while assuring the public there was little long-term risk. Firefighters worked that site for months breathing air the city claimed was safe, but apparently knew was harmful. “There must be accountability. These records must be released in full. The 9/11 community and New York deserve the truth about what was known and when. “We already know the cost: last week, the FDNY released a report that over 9,000 people – including 600 firefighters – have died from illnesses tied to Ground Zero. Overall, more than 12,000 FDNY members have at least one World Trade Center-related condition, and nearly a quarter of those have been diagnosed with cancer. “This is also why our fight for the World Trade Center Health Program is not finished. Securing funding was essential, but I will keep pressing the program to fix delays in certifying new conditions, clinical staffing shortages, and administrative backlogs. Nobody who breathed that air should be denied care or have to wait years for it. “Twenty-five years after one of the darkest days in our nation’s history, we cannot forget the sacrifices and heroism of our first responders and ordinary New Yorkers who ran through flame, rubble, and toxic soot to save lives. Who cleaned up the aftermath and then fought to rebuild New York City stronger than ever. In our nation’s darkest hour, they put on the armor of light. We must never forget their courage, nor can we ignore the toll that that courage took on their health and their families.” The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) was established in 2011 as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and was originally funded for five years at $1.6 billion. The program was reauthorized in 2015 and extended through 2090 with bipartisan support. In 2022, Senator Gillibrand led lawmakers in passing $1 billion for the WTCHP in the end-of-year spending bill, and in 2023, Senator Gillibrand helped secure an additional $676 million for the program. Earlier this year, she successfully secured full funding for the program, continuing her commitment to ensuring 9/11 responders and survivors receive the care they need, now and in the years ahead. ###