Fallout: The Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Collapse

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Was one of the most sinister aspects of the World Trade Center attacks deliberately ignored There are signs that very severe levels of contaminants were released into the New York atmosphere following the towers' destruction. But, in the days following the 9/11 attacks, Mayor Rudy Giuliani reassured the city's workforce that air "contaminants are either not detectable or are below concern levels". In fact, tests taken at the time showed high concentrations of toxic materials in Manhattan's air, including asbestos, dioxins and heavy metals. Investigative journalist Juan Gonzalez suggests that at the time, the US Government just wanted the nation, which had been virtually paralysed, to return to normal as quickly as possible, and apparently at all costs. The longer Wall Street and the markets remained closed, the greater the likelihood of a stock meltdown and possibly grave damage to the economy. Faced with the conflicting interests of the national economy and public health, it now seems that US officials misled New Yorkers about the real dangers of toxic contamination after September 11th. Their failure, exposed in this controversial book, may have profound effects on the long-term health of New Yorkers and, indeed, on the reputation of the ex-mayor.

Author Bio

Juan Gonzalez is a columnist on The Daily News and the author of Roll Down Your Window and Harvest of Empire.