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NYC releases 9/11 records showing officials misled New Yorkers about air quality around Ground Zero
The records suggest officials knew of toxic air and legal exposure while assuring residents and responders the site was safe.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration will release more than 170,000 pages of records on Tuesday, revealing city officials possessed evidence of dangerous air conditions in Lower Manhattan despite public assurances following the World Trade Center collapse.
The documents indicate officials were aware of troubling environmental test results, including spiking benzene and asbestos concentrations in November 2001, even as public statements offered reassurance about air safety near the World Trade Center.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler said he met with former Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg to raise concerns, but his warnings went unheeded. "They knew about the air quality and they essentially did nothing about it," Nadler said.
Thousands of New Yorkers have developed cancers and respiratory illnesses linked to contamination exposure. Former New York Gov. George Pataki revealed he was diagnosed with restrictive airway disease attributed to his exposure at the site.
As the 25th anniversary approaches, the release adds to long-running questions about whether officials adequately warned workers and residents of hazards while prioritizing the reopening of Wall Street.