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