EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Challenge

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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 5:29 am

Appendix A: Federal Agencies Responding to the WTC Collapse

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Agency / Role

Federal Emergency Management Agency / Managed and coordinated Federal Government response. Provided funding for response including cleaning of building exteriors and cleaning of indoor residential spaces.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health / Performed various activities related to worker health and safety, which included:
• Assessing jobs and work locations for health potential hazards.
• Helping site managers select appropriate equipment for sampling, use it properly, and institute procedures for analyzing data.
• Helping select appropriate personal protective equipment and coordinate deployment of respirators.
• Developing procedures for cleaning and sanitizing respirators.
• Developing and disseminating written guidelines for worker safety and health.
• Conducting health hazard evaluations to assess worker health.
• Providing technical assistance to NYCDOH to develop voluntary registry of individuals who worked at, lived near, or responded to the WTC attack.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry / Provided various types of monitoring and health assessment support, including:
• Assisting EPA and other agencies in sampling dust and air at Ground Zero and evaluating data to assess health risks.
• Providing technical assistance to NYCDOH on environmental medicine,
• Participating in the World Trade Center Environmental Assessment Workgroup, which was made up of representatives from ATSDR and other Federal agencies.
• Using geographic information systems to map environmental sampling results and other data for Lower Manhattan.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences / Funded research and training to address health concerns resulting from the WTC collapse.


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U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration / Conducted various risk assessment and monitoring activities related to worker protection at the Ground Zero Site. This included:
• Taking air and bulk samples to date for asbestos, silica, lead, and other heavy metals, carbon monoxide, noise, and numerous organic and inorganic compounds.
• Providing 24-hour laboratory support to analyze air and bulk samples taken at the site.
• Distributing sampling results to workers and other safety and health representatives at the site, and posting the sampling results on the agency’s web site, and
• Providing guidance on appropriate personal protection equipment and feasible control measures based on monitoring results.
Distributed respirators and conducted fit testing for the Fire Department of New York and other rescue workers.
Conducted initial safety assessment of the site within 24 hours of the attack to identify hazards and potential health and safety risks to workers involved in the recovery, and provided around- the-clock monitoring of the site to identify and alert workers to safety and health hazards.
Provided various safety and health support functions such as helping develop an environmental, safety, and health plan; distributing personal protective equipment to workers; and conducting job hazard analyses.
Provided support to promote site safety and health, which included sponsoring weekly meeting regarding safety and health issues.

United States Coast Guard / Operated Incident Command Center in Edison, New Jersey.
Conducted air-monitoring operations in buildings in Manhattan's financial district.


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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 5:31 am

Appendix B: Details on Scope and Methodology

Objective 1. Did the available monitoring data and analyses of that data support EPA’s major public communications regarding air quality and associated health risks resulting from the collapse of the WTC towers?

We requested all data and correspondence used to support “major” EPA pronouncements regarding air quality. We defined “major” as press releases, testimony, television, and other public appearances. This effort primarily focused on, but was not limited to, data collected and pronouncements made during the period September 2001 through December 2001. The data we reviewed included “Daily Summary Sheets” prepared by EPA staff, and the raw data sheets that showed the results of air and dust samples and were the basis for the daily summaries. In addition, we obtained access to the “New York City Response” database maintained by EPA’s Office of Environmental Information and downloaded selected data from the database and compared it to the raw data sheets. We also reviewed monitoring results from other organizations, including:

• New York State Department of Conservation
• New York City Department of Environmental Protection
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• New York City Board of Education
• Operating Engineers National Hazmat Program
• New York State Public Employees Safety and Health Bureau
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• DELTA Group
• New York University
• Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
• ConEd
• Turner Construction

We interviewed Region 2 officials to determine their views on what monitoring data showed and the messages conveyed by EPA press releases. In addition, we interviewed EPA officials within the Office of Research and Development, Office of Air and Radiation, and Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. We also interviewed officials outside EPA to obtain their views on EPA’s statements about air quality and the support for these statements. These interviews included officials and researchers from OSHA, FEMA, NYCDOH, NYCDEP, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York University, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the DELTA Group.

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We also reviewed available correspondence and documentation related to the preparation of the EPA press releases. Further, we interviewed principal EPA officials involved in the preparation of press releases, including the EPA Associate Administrator for OCEMR, the Associate Administrator for the Office of Public Affairs (formerly OCEMR), the EPA Administrator’s former Chief of Staff, and the Region 2 Communications Division Director.

Limitations: Our review of the process and the support for information in EPA press releases on air quality was limited since CEQ officials declined to meet with us to discuss their role in the preparation of press releases. Our written request for an interview was declined by a White House legal counselor, who noted there were “institutional concerns about interviewing White House employees.” Further, there was a lack of documentation in general regarding preparation of press releases. We only found documentation regarding the preparation of two of six press releases issued during the period September 12, 2001, through October 3, 2001. This documentation included a draft copy of the EPA press release issued on September 16; a single e-mail about this draft press release from CEQ; and a draft copy of the September 13 EPA press release.

Objective 2. Were EPA actions and decisions in regard to evaluating, mitigating, and controlling risks to human health from exposure to indoor air pollutants in the WTC area consistent with applicable statutes, regulations, policies, guidance, and practice?

We reviewed applicable laws, regulations, and guidance related to emergency responses, including CERCLA (Superfund) and implementing regulations, and the FRP. We also reviewed EPA’s authority to test and clean indoor spaces, and the applicability of this authority to the WTC response. We interviewed EPA and FEMA officials about the applicability and requirements of these statutes. We also identified EPA and other government actions taken in response to other disasters to compare prior indoor responses to the WTC indoor response.

We identified and reviewed reports of indoor testing conducted by both government and non- government entities. This included indoor air and dust testing conducted by EPA, ATSDR, contractors for the General Services Administration, consultants for the Ground Zero Task Force, and an environmental firm hired by one of the debris removal construction companies.

We also interviewed officials both within and outside the government to determine their views regarding the extent of indoor contamination and the adequacy of the government’s response.

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Objective 3. Were asbestos demolition and renovation work practice standards followed during WTC cleanup and recovery operations and, if not, why not?

To determine the requirement applicable to emergency situations, we reviewed the Asbestos National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (40 CFR Part 61 Subpart M), EPA’s “Guidelines For Catastrophic Emergency Situations Involving Asbestos,” and other EPA background documents on NESHAP. We also reviewed New York City’s “Asbestos Control Program” rules and New York State’s Industrial Code Rule 56, which governs asbestos emission in the State.

We interviewed EPA and New York City officials to discuss the applicability of NESHAP rules to the WTC response. This included the EPA Region 2 Counsel, officials from the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, and officials from NYCDEP and NYCDDC. To determine the extent that NESHAP work practices were followed in demolishing damaged buildings and removing debris from the WTC site, we interviewed officials who were present at the site during these operations including EPA on-scene coordinators, and officials from New York City and OSHA. We also reviewed transcripts of EPA Superfund Ombudsman, United States Senate Subcommittee, New York State Assembly, and New York City Council hearings on this issue. Further, we reviewed reports from persons present at the site, EPA situation reports, and other reports of activities at the site.

Limitations: Information on which we based conclusions includes personal accounts of the work activities obtained from interviews and hearings, and reports describing work practices at the site. Further, it was beyond the scope of our review to determine whether all NESHAP regulations applicable to emergency situations were followed or the extent to which they may have been followed. We also did not evaluate compliance with worker protection requirements.

Objective 4. To what extent were EPA and government communications regarding air quality and associated health risks: (a) received by the public; (b) understood by the public; and (c) effective in getting people to take the desired actions to reduce their potential health risks?

To obtain information on the impact EPA pronouncements had on the actions of area residents and workers, we reviewed testimony at hearings before a United States Senate Subcommittee, EPA’s Superfund Ombudsman, the New York State Assembly, and the New York City Council. In addition, we reviewed the results of surveys of people’s actions and opinions, and reviewed reports prepared by officials present during the WTC response. At the time this report was prepared, we were in the process of conducting a random survey of New York City residents to obtain information on the public’s satisfaction with the air quality information provided by the government after the WTC response, how the public interpreted

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this information, and actions taken by the public to reduce their exposure to potential contaminants. The results of this survey will be presented in a separate OIG report.

Limitations: Except for a survey by NYCDOH and a random telephone poll of New York residents, the information we reviewed was not collected by statistical sampling methods and may not be representative of the public’s and emergency crews’ actions with respect to government communications.

Objective 5. What additional actions, if any, should EPA take to improve its response and recovery efforts in the WTC area related to ambient and indoor air quality?

This objective primarily focused on the indoor residential cleanup – the only significant EPA WTC recovery activity ongoing at the time we completed our review. We did not audit the results of the cleaning and testing to determine compliance with the prescribed procedures of the program or to determine the actual effectiveness of cleaning conducted. Our analysis was based on a review of the procedures for the testing and cleanup by our certified industrial hygienist, a comparison of those procedures to commonly accepted asbestos abatement procedures, and a comparison of the cleanup goals to remediation goals that would have been required if this were a designated Superfund site. We also reviewed a peer review report of COPCs developed by EPA for indoor cleanup.

Objective 6. Should EPA revise its preparation and contingency planning for dealing with air pollution resulting from environmental catastrophes?

To answer this question, we summarized lessons learned from the work we conducted to complete our other objectives. We also interviewed EPA officials, other government officials, and non- government environmental experts to obtain their suggestions for improving EPA’s capability to respond to similar disasters in the future. We also reviewed EPA and non-EPA “lessons learned” reports.

Prior Audit Coverage

The OIG has not conducted any prior evaluations of EPA responses to large-scale disasters. However, our report on EPA’s actions related to asbestos contamination in Libby Montana (EPA’s Actions Concerning Asbestos- Contaminated Vermiculite in Libby, Montana; 2001-S-7; March 31, 2001) discussed several issues related to the regulation and analysis of health risks from asbestos that were relevant to this evaluation.

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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 5:31 am

Appendix C: EPA September 18, 2001 Press Release

September 18, 2001

Whitman Details Ongoing Efforts to Monitor Disaster Sites, Contribute to Cleanup Efforts [En Espanol]

EPA Administrator Christie Whitman announced today that results from the Agency's air and drinking water monitoring near the World Trade Center and Pentagon disaster sites indicate that these vital resources are safe. Whitman also announced that EPA has been given up to $83 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support EPA's involvement in cleanup activities and ongoing monitoring of environmental conditions in both the New York City and Washington metropolitan areas following last week's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"We are very encouraged that the results from our monitoring of air quality and drinking water conditions in both New York and near the Pentagon show that the public in these areas is not being exposed to excessive levels of asbestos or other harmful substances," Whitman said. "Given the scope of the tragedy from last week, I am glad to reassure the people of New York and Washington D.C. that their air is safe to breath and their water is safe to drink," she added.

In the aftermath of last Tuesday's attacks, EPA has worked closely with state, federal and local authorities to provide expertise on cleanup methods for hazardous materials, as well as to detect whether any contaminants are found in ambient air quality monitoring, sampling of drinking water sources and sampling of runoff near the disaster sites.

At the request of FEMA, EPA has been involved in the cleanup and site monitoring efforts, working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state and local organizations.

EPA has conducted repeated monitoring of ambient air at the site of the World Trade Center and in the general Wall Street district of Manhattan, as well as in Brooklyn. The Agency is planning to perform air monitoring in the surrounding New York metropolitan area. EPA has established 10 continuous (stationary) air monitoring stations near the WTC site. Thus far, from 50 air samples taken, the vast majority of results are either non-detectable or below established levels of concern for asbestos, lead and volatile organic compounds. The highest levels of asbestos have been detected within one-half block of ground zero, where rescuers have been provided with appropriate protective equipment.

In lower Manhattan, the City of New York has also been involved in efforts to clean anything coated with debris dust resulting from Tuesday's destruction. This involves spraying water over buildings, streets and sidewalks to wash the accumulated dust off the building and eliminate the possibility that materials would become airborne. To complement this clean up effort, EPA has performed 62 dust sample analyses for the presence of asbestos and other substances. Most dust samples fall below EPA's definition of "asbestos containing material" (one percent asbestos). Where samples have shown greater than one percent asbestos, EPA has operated its 10 High Efficiency Particulate Arresting, HEPA, vacuum trucks to clean the area and them resample. EPA also used the 10 HEPA vac trucks to clean streets and sidewalks in the Financial District in preparation for Monday's return to business. The Agency plans to use HEPA vac trucks to clean the lobbies of the five federal buildings near the World Trade Center site, and to clean the streets outside of New York's City Hall.

Drinking water in Manhattan was tested at 13 sampling points, in addition to one test at the Newtown Sewage Treatment plant and pump station. Initial results of this drinking water sampling show that levels of asbestos are well below EPA's levels of concern.

While FEMA has provided EPA with a Total Project Ceiling cost of slightly more than $83 million for the Agency's cleanup efforts in New York City and in at the Pentagon site, EPA currently is working with emergency funding of $23.7 million. If costs exceed this level, FEMA will authorize EPA to tap additional funding in increments of $15 million. As part of the additional funding to be provided by FEMA, EPA will be responsible for any hazardous waste disposal, general site safety and providing sanitation facilities for many of the search and rescue workers to wash the dust off following their shifts. EPA is coordinating with both the U.S. Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence and the U.S. Coast Guard to quickly

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implement these additional responsibilities to ensure that search and rescue personnel are provided with the maximum support and protection from hazardous materials that may be found during their mission.

At the Pentagon explosion site in Arlington, Va., EPA has also been involved in a variety of monitoring of air and water quality. All ambient air monitoring results, both close to the crash site and in the general vicinity, have shown either no detection of asbestos or levels that fall well below the Agency's level of concern. Testing of runoff water from the disaster site does not show elevated levels of contaminants. Given the large numbers of Department of Defense (DOD) employees returning to work this week, EPA has worked closely with officials from DOD and from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to evaluate air and drinking water quality and to be certain that the workplace environment will be safe.

While careful not to impede the search, rescue and cleanup efforts at either the World Trade Center or the Pentagon disaster sites, EPA's primary concern has been to ensure that rescue workers and the public are not being exposed to elevated levels of potentially hazardous contaminants in the dust and debris, especially where practical solutions are available to reduce exposure. EPA has assisted efforts to provide dust masks to rescue workers to minimize inhalation of dust. EPA also recommends that the blast site debris continue to be kept wet, which helps to significantly reduce the amount of airborne dust which can aggravate respiratory ailments such as asthma. On-site facilities are being made available for rescue workers to clean themselves, change their clothing and to have dust-laden clothes cleaned separately from normal household wash.

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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 5:33 am

Appendix D: Screening Levels Used by EPA to Assess Outdoor Air Quality

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Pollutant / Screening Level / Source

Asbestos (Ambient Air) / 70 s/m2 / AHERA clearance level to re-enter school after asbestos abatement. Represents minimum detection limit of method in use at time standard set.

Asbestos (Bulk Dust) / 1% asbestos / The Asbestos NESHAP (40 CFR Part 61) level at which a material is considered asbestos-containing and subject to NESHAP removal regulations.

Benzene / 0.02 ppm [1] .21 ppm [3] / California-EPA toxicity studies. Region 2 [2]

PCBs .73 ug/m3 [1] / 9 ug/m3 [3] Region 2 [2] / Region 2 [2]

Chromium / .6 ug/m3 [3] / Region 2 [2]. Based on risk for Chromium Hexavalent (the most toxic form of Chromium).

Cadmium / .2 ug/m3 [1] 3 ug/m3 [3] / California-EPA toxicity studies Region 2 [2]

Manganese / .5 ug/m3 [1] / Region 2 [2]

Particulate Matter 2.5 / 40 ug/m3 65 ug/m3 (24 hr avg) / Air Quality Index. Represents caution level for sensitive populations for 24-hour average exposure.
National Ambient Air Quality Standard

Particulate Matter 10 / 150 ug/m3 / Air Quality Index and National Ambient Air Quality Standard

Lead / 1.5 ug/m3 (3 mo avg).1 ug/m3 / National Ambient Air Quality Standard Default value in EPA’s Integrated Exposure Uptake/ Bio-kinetic Model for Lead in Children.

PAHs / 6 ug/m3 [3] / Region 2 developed from EPA’s “Hazard Evaluation Handbook: A Guide to Removal Actions,” and EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment provisional inhalation Slope Factor for Benzo(a)pyrene.

Dioxin / .162 ng/m3 [3] / Region 2 [2]

Sulfur Dioxide / .14 ppm (24 hr avg) / National Ambient Air Quality Standard

Acetone / 1.5 ppm [1] / Region 2 [2]

Benzaldehyde / 860 ppm / Not identified

1,3 Butadiene / .01 ppm [1] [3] / Region 2 developed using EPA’s “Hazard Evaluation Handbook: A Guide to Removal Actions,” and proposed reference concentration.


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Pollutant / Screening Level / Source

Chloro-methane / .4 ppm [1] 2.6 ppm [3] / Region 2 [2] Region 2 [2]

1,4 Dioxane / .5 ppm [3] / Region 2 [2]

Ethanol / 45 ppm / American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit

Ethyl- benzene / 2.5 ppm [1] / Region 2 [2]

Freon 22 / 140 ppm / Not Identified

Propylene / simple asyphyxiant / --

Styrene / 2.3 ppm [1] / Region 2 [2]

Alpha methyl styrene / .1ppm [1] / Region 2 [2]

Tetrahydro-furan / .9 ppm [3] / Region 2 [2]

Toluene / 1.1 ppm [1] / Region 2 [2]

Xylenes / 1 ppm / TSDR Minimum Risk Level x 10. Represents screening level for chronic (over 365 days) exposure. Used to identify contaminants of potential concern.

Acetaldehyde / .05 ppm [1] 1.3 ppm [3] / Region 2 [2] Region 2 [2]

Formaldehyde / .04 ppm .35 ppm [3] / ATSDR Minimum Risk Level for acute exposure. Represents screening level for acute (1- to 14-day) exposure to identify a potential concern. Region 2 [2]

Acrolein / .0001 ppm [1] ' Region 2 [2]

Notes:

[1] = Represents risk of non-cancer disease based on a 1-year continuous exposure at screening level. The hazard quotient represents the ratio of the potential exposure to the substance and the level at which no adverse health effects are expected. If the quotient is greater than 1, then adverse health effects are possible. For EPA's response, the screening level established equals a hazard quotient of 10.
[2] = Region 2 developed the screening level using EPA's "Hazard Evaluation Handbook: A Guide to Removal Actions," and toxicity criteria from EPA's Integrated Risk Information System database.
[3] = Represents a 1-in-10,000 increased lifetime risk of cancer based on a 1-year continuous exposure at the screening level.


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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:33 am

Appendix E: EPA Outdoor Air Asbestos Sampling for September 2001

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Date Sample Collected / No. of Samples Collected / Sampling Location / No. of Samples Exceeding 70s/mm2 / No. of Samples Not Analyzed [1] / Date Results Available

9/11 / 4 / Brooklyn / [2] / -- / 9/12
9/11 / 4 / New Jersey / [2] / -- / 9/12
9/12 / 9 / Ground Zero / [2] / -- / 9/13
9/13 / 1 / Lower Manhattan / [2] / -- / 9/14
9/15 / 16 / Lower Manhattan / 2 [3] 7 / 9/16
9/16 / 20 / Lower Manhattan / 1 [4] 9 / 9/17
9/17 / 23 / Lower Manhattan / 0 8 / 9/18
9/18 / 12 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/19
9/18 / 13 / Lower Manhattan / 0 3 / 9/20
9/18 / 4 / New Jersey / 0 1 / 9/20
9/18 / 2 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/22
9/19 / 12 / Lower Manhattan / 0 [5] / -- / 9/20
9/19 / 11 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/21
9/19 / 13 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/23
9/19 / 3 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/22
9/20 / 18 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/21
9/20 / 2 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/22
9/20 / 4 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/23
9/21 / 13 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/22
9/21 / 4 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/24
9/22 / 13 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/23
9/22 / 15 / Lower Manhattan / 1 [6] 1 / 9/24
9/22 / 4 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/26
9/23 / 29 / Lower Manhattan / 1 [7] 3 / 9/25
9/23 / 4 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/27
9/24 / 16 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/25
9/24 / 16 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/26
9/24 / 4 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/27
9/25 / 17 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/28
9/25 / 4 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/28
9/26 / 17 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/28
9/26 / 16 / Lower Manhattan / 3 [8] / -- / 9/29
9/26 / 4 / New Jersey / 0 / -- / 9/29
9/27 / 18 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/29
9/27 / 17 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/30
9/28 / 17 / Lower Manhattan / 0 / -- / 9/29

Notes:

[1] = Not analyzed due to filter overloading or other sampling problems.
[2] = No sample results reported for this method.
[3] = Results were 128 and 160 s/mm2.
[4] = Result was 90 s/mm2.
[5] = TEM results were reported in fibers per cubic centimeter. Results in s/mm2 not reported on daily summary sheet.
[6] = Result was 80 s/mm2.
[7] = Result was 88.89 s/mm2.
[8] = Results were 177. 78, 97.78, and 71.11 s/mm2.
[9] = Result was 80 s/mm2.


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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:33 am

Appendix F: EPA Outdoor Bulk Dust Asbestos Test Results for September 2001 [1]

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1 = Excludes bulk testing at landfill.

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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:34 am

Appendix G: EPA September 16,2001 Press Release

September 16, 2001

EPA, OSHA Update Asbestos Data, Continue to Reassure Public about Contamination Fears [En Espanol]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor's Occupational Health and Safety Administration today announced that the majority of air and dust samples monitored at the crash site and in lower Manhattan do not indicate levels of concern for asbestos. The new samples confirm previous reports that ambient air quality meets OSHA standards and consequently is not a cause for public concern. New OSHA data also indicates that indoor air quality in downtown buildings will meet standards.

EPA has found variable asbestos levels in bulk debris and dust on the ground, but EPA continues to believe that there is no significant health risk to the general public in the coming days. Appropriate steps are being taken to clean up this dust and debris.

"Our tests show that it is safe for New Yorkers to go back to work in New York's financial district," said John L. Henshaw, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. "Keeping the streets clean and being careful not to track dust into buildings will help protect workers from remaining debris."

OSHA staff walked through New York's financial district on September 13th, wearing personal air monitors and collected data on potential asbestos exposure levels. All but two samples contained no asbestos. Two samples contained very low levels of an unknown fiber, which is still being analyzed,

Air Samples taken on Sept. 13th inside buildings in New York's financial district were negative for asbestos. Debris samples collected outside buildings on cars and other surfaces contained small percentages of asbestos, ranging from 2.1 to 3.3 -- slightly above the 1 percent trigger for defining asbestos material.

"EPA will be deploying 16 vacuum trucks this weekend in an effort to remove as much of the dust and debris as possible from the site where the samples were obtained," said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. "In addition we will be moving six continuous air monitoring stations into the area. We will put five near ground zero and one on Canal Street. The good news continues to be that the air samples we have taken have all been at levels that cause us no concern."

The continuous monitoring stations will augment the ambient air quality monitoring located in Brooklyn. EPA and OSHA will remain on site and continue to monitor for levels of asbestos, PCBs, lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the area throughout the long weeks of cleanup ahead. In addition. EPA will move in a bus that has the equipment to do instant analysis of volatile organic compound samples from air at the site. It is called a Total Atmospheric Gas Analyzer and is similar to a unit used during the Gulf War to sample emissions from the oil fires in Kuwait.

The Agency is recommending that businesses in the area planning to reopen next week take precautions including cleaning air conditioning filters end using vacuums with appropriate filters to collect dust. Vacuuming will reduce the chance of re-entering workers tracking dust into the buildings. This work is already underway by City agencies,

The U.S. Coast Guard will be assisting EPA in monitoring impacts, if any, of today's rainstorms on the water quality. However, most of the rainflow is expected to be handled by the City's waste water treatment facility, since there will be only limited sewage in the combined sewer system, EPA has a vessel on site in New York to handle any necessary testing.

Additional technical support has been offered to EPA in New York from the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General's Office of Environmental and Occupational Health. That support would involve five engineers and/or environmental technicians and equipment if needed.

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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:35 am

Appendix H: EPA September 13, 2001 Press Release

September 13, 2001

EPA Initiates Emergency Response Activities, Reassures Public About Environmental Hazards [En Espanol]

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman today announced that EPA is taking steps to ensure the safety of rescue workers and the public at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon disaster sites, and to protect the environment. EPA is working with state, federal, and local agencies to monitor and respond to potential environmental hazards and minimize any environmental effects of the disasters and their aftermath.

At the request of the New York City Department of Health, EPA and the US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have been on the scene at the World Trade Center monitoring exposure to potentially contaminated dust and debris. Monitoring and sampling conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday have been very reassuring about potential exposure of rescue crews and the public to environmental contaminants.

EPA's primary concern is to ensure that rescue workers and the public are not exposed to elevated levels of asbestos, acidic gases or other contaminants from the debris. Sampling of ambient air quality found either no asbestos or very low levels of asbestos. Sampling of bulk materials and dust found generally low levels of asbestos.

The levels of lead, asbestos and volatile organic compounds in air samples taken on Tuesday in Brooklyn, downwind from the World Trade Center site, were not detectable or not of concern.

Additional sampling of both ambient air quality and dust particles was conducted Wednesday night in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and results were uniformly acceptable.

"EPA is greatly relieved to have learned that there appears to be no significant levels of asbestos dust in the air in New York City," said Administrator Whitman. "We are working closely with rescue crews to ensure that all appropriate precautions are taken. We will continue to monitor closely."

Public health concerns about asbestos contamination are primarily related to long-term exposure, Short-term, low-level exposure of the type that might have been produced by the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings is unlikely to cause significant health effects. EPA and OSHA will work closely with rescue and cleanup crews to minimize their potential exposure, but the general public should be very reassured by initial sampling.

EPA and OSHA will continue to monitor and sample for asbestos, and will work with the appropriate officials to ensure that rescue workers, cleanup crews and the general public are properly informed about appropriate steps that should be taken to ensure proper handling, transportation and disposal of potentially contaminated debris or materials.

EPA is taking steps to ensure that response units implement appropriate engineering controls to minimize environmental hazards, such as water sprays and rinsing to prevent or minimize potential exposure and limit releases of potential contaminants beyond the debris site.

EPA is also conducting downwind sampling for potential chemical and asbestos releases from the World Trade Center debris site. In addition, EPA has deployed federal On-Scene Coordinators to the Washington, D.C. Emergency Operations Center, Fort Meade, and FEMA's alternate Regional Operations Center in Pennsylvania, and has deployed an On-Scene Coordinator to the Virginia Emergency Operations Center.

Under its response authority, EPA will use all available resources and staff experts to facilitate a safe emergency response and cleanup.

EPA will work with other involved agencies as needed to:

• procure and distribute respiratory and eye protection equipment in cooperation with the Dept. of Health and Human Services;
• provide health and safety training upon request;
• design and implement a site monitoring plan;
• provide technical assistance for site control and decontamination; and
• provide some 3000 asbestos respirators, 60 self-contained breathing apparatuses and 10,000 protective clothing suits to the two disaster sites.

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New York Governor George E. Pataki has promised to provide emergency electric generators to New York City in efforts to restore lost power caused by Tuesday's tragedy, and EPA will work with State authorities to expedite any necessary permits for those generators.

OSHA is also working with Consolidated Edison regarding safety standards for e:mployees who are digging trenches because of leaking gas lines underground. OSHA has advised Con Edison to provide its employees with appropriate respirators so they can proceed with emergency work, shutting off gas leaks in the city.

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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:36 am

Appendix I: Non-Governmental Environmental Experts Interviewed

Philip Landrigan, M.D. / Director/Attending, The Mount Sinai Hospital
Chairman & Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Stephen Levin, M.D. / Assistant Attending, The Mount Sinai Hospital
Associate Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

George Thurston, Sc.D. / Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine,
New York University School of Medicine

Paul Lioy, Ph.D. / Director, Exposure Measurement and Assessment Division, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute

Hugh Granger, Ph.D., CIH / Toxicologist and Laboratory Director, HP Environmental, Inc.

Piotr Chmielinski, M.S., CIH / Director of Industrial Hygiene, HP Environmental, Inc.

Thomas Cahill / Professor of Atmospheric Science/Physics,
University of California-Davis, Director, DELTA Group

Michael Beard / Research Environmental Chemist, Center for Environmental Measurements, Research Triangle Institute

Michael Gallo, PhD. / Director, Toxicology Division, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute

Howard Bader, P.E. / President, H.A. Bader Consultants, Inc.


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Re: EPA'S Response to the World Trade Center Collapse: Chall

Postby admin » Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:37 am

Appendix J: NYCDEP October 25, 2001 Instructions to Residents

Department of Environmental Protection
Executive Offices
59-17 Junction Boulevard-19th floor
Corona, New York 11368-5107
www.nyc.gov/dep

Joel A. Miele Sr., P.E., Commissioner
(718) 595-6565 Fax # (718) 595-3525
E-mail: Jmiele@nysnet.net

The City of New York

October 25, 2001

Dear Residents of Lower Manhattan:

Since September 11th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), NYC Department of Health (DOH), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), have been taking samples of the air, dust, water, river sediments and drinking water and analyzing them for the presence of pollutants. The samples are evaluated against a variety of benchmarks, standards and guidelines established to protect public health under various conditions. These agencies consider the amount of time a person is exposed to a particular pollutant and where -- a school, workplace or home -- in creating these criteria.

The following is a description of some of the benchmarks, standards and guidelines these agencies are using to evaluate environmental conditions in the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster.

Asbestos in the Air / In Open Spaces

EPA is requiring the strictest protective standard under AHERA, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, for asbestos in outdoor and indoor areas. (This standard is used to determine whether children may reenter a school building after asbestos has been removed or abated.) To be as protective as possible, EPA, together with NYCDEP and all the other health and environmental agencies, are requiring school reentry standards in tests around the World Trade Center site. NYCDEP, USEPA, and NYC Department of Sanitation worked to perform cleanups of all dust in exterior spaces and all exterior areas of Lower Manhattan that were closed passed their strict protective standards before being opened again to the public.

Asbestos in Dust in Buildings

If a substance contains more than 1% asbestos, it is considered to be an "asbestos-containing material." There are Federal, State and City regulations in place to ensure the proper handling and disposal of asbestos-containing material. If a substance contains 1% or less asbestos, these regulations do not apply.

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EPA is using the 1% definition in evaluating exterior dust samples in the Lower Manhattan area near the World Trade Center. All affected landlords have been instructed to test dust samples within their buildings utilizing this standard. Landlords were notified that they should not reopen any building until a competent professional had properly inspected their premise. If more than 1% asbestos was found and testing and cleaning was necessary, it had to be performed by certified personnel.

Drinking Water

NYC DEP continuously tests drinking water every day for multiple parameters. After the World Trade Center disaster, DEP expanded the number of tests taken and the parameters of testing. EPA also conducted separate tests. Before and after the event, New York City drinking water has met and continues to meet all Federal, State and City standards. Testing at a heightened level is continuing.

NYC Department of Health

The New York City Health Commissioner Neal L. Cohen, M.D. has reviewed the findings of the various testing agencies and issued the following statements to residents. He said "despite the smoky conditions in areas of lower Manhattan that are close to the World Trade Center site, test results from the ongoing monitoring of airborne contaminants indicate that the levels continue to be below the level of concern to public health. Nonetheless, while debris continues to be disturbed, and while flare-ups of smoke continue to permeate the downtown area, air-testing results will continue to be monitored, and appropriate health recommendations will be issued as necessary." Dr. Cohen added, "As work continues at the disaster site, the presence of dust and smoke odor in the downtown area has been of understandable concern to residents. However, air monitoring by Federal, State and City agencies has indicated that the levels of particulate matter being detected are below the level of public health concern and do not pose long-term health risks to the general public."

In addition to air monitoring activities, efforts are being made daily to suppress dust and smoke at the World Trade Center disaster site. Results of daily dust sampling conducted by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency is available online at epa.gov. Factsheets detailing Health Department recommendations pertaining to air quality, asbestos, safely reoccupying homes and buildlings, and worker safety are available online at nyc.gov/health. For more information about all Health Department activities, New Yorkers can call (212) 227-5269. For information about asbestos issues, you can consult our website at nyc.gov/dep or call the New York City Department of Environmental Protection at &718) DEP-HELP and ask to be referred to our asbestos staff.

Very truly yours,

Joel A. Miele, Sr., P.E. Commissioner

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