[Mb-civic] Letter

[Ian]

I have sent this letter to The New York Times

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Ian 
To: letters at nytimes.com 
Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 4:22 PM
Subject: Letter


Former EPA administrator Christie Whitman "rejected as 'completely inaccurate' a ruling by a federal judge that found she had misled people near the World Trade Center about the risks of toxic air contamination after the Sept. 11 attack" ("Whitman Defends Finding on Air After 9/11," Feb. 4).  She cannot be serious.

According to the World Trade Center Environmental Organization, the detritus of the towers included over 400,000 pounds of lead from over 50,000 computers, over 200,000 pounds of asbestos, hundreds of pounds of mercury from tens of thousands of fluorescent light bulbs, and dozens of pounds of radioactive Americium 241 from thousands of smoke detectors.  The alkalinity of the air the following day was equal to that of Drano.  One scientist said that the aftermath of the collapse was equivalent to the simultaneous destruction of dozens of asbestos factories, incinerators and crematoria.

A month later, scientists from the University of California at Davis took readings at the site that showed the highest levels of Vanadium and ultra-fine particulates out of 7,000 samples tested - including from the burning Kuwaiti oil fields during the first Gulf War.  By August 2004, 14 of the 15 rescue dogs that spent the first week at the site were dead of cancer and respiratory diseases.  And last month, Detective James Zadroga of the NYPD became the first person to die of lung disease and mercury poisoning directly related to his work at the site on 9/11 and for the weeks following.

Yet on September 13th, the EPA's report claimed that "the air is safe to breathe."

In this regard, Ms. Whitman's claim is not simply disingenuous, it is a dangerous lie that will lead to more deaths.  Because unless people are told the truth, they will not get themselves tested for possible health problems.

Rev. Ian Alterman
New York City
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