Harsh Criticism for EPA's New Plan to Test for Contamination at Homes Near WTC

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June 21, 2007 8:33 AM

The Environmental Protection Agency did not provide the public with sufficient information, nor did it follow an advisory panel's recommendations when designing a second program to test for indoor air contamination at residences in lower Manhattan near the disaster site of the World Trade Center, according to a preliminary government study.

"Shortcomings in the EPA's second program to test and clean residences for WTC contamination raise questions about the agency's preparedness for addressing indoor contamination resulting from future disasters," said John Stephenson of the Government Accountability Office, which is leading the study.

Stephenson testified before a congressional subcommittee yesterday on the EPA's second attempt to test residences in lower Manhattan that were exposed to asbestos, lead, glass fibers and pulverized concrete in the wake of the attack on and subsequent collapse of the towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

The first program was harshly criticized and determined to be "inadequate" by the EPA's inspector general in 2003. Since then, an expert panel was organized to make recommendations on a second testing program. According to Stephenson, however, many of those recommendations were not integrated into the EPA's new plan.

Among the recommendations not followed are broadening the geographic scope of the testing effort, testing heating/ventilation/air conditioning and expanding the program to include workplaces.

Stephenson also said the EPA has not provided sufficient information so that residents in the area can make an informed decision about participation. So far, only 295 of more than 20,000 eligible residential owners have signed on to participate.

The EPA stated the test results from the first program found a "very small" number of residences exceeded risk levels for airborne asbestos, but Stephenson explained that 80 percent of the samples were taken from residences after they'd already been professionally cleaned.

"Therefore, it is not surprising that EPA found few samples exceeding its asbestos standard," said Stephenson.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health, said the lessons of 9/11 are being ignored.

"We never got the information we needed to understand just what toxic hazards were present in the air; we never got the comprehensive test and clean up program that would have protected families, students and workers; and we are left with a federal agency that is completely unprepared if this kind of air quality disaster were to happen again," said Clinton.

Testing is set to begin within the next few weeks, but the GAO states the EPA has not taken steps to ensure the program will have enough funding to achieve all of its objectives.

"Instead, EPA is implementing this program with the funding remaining after its first program -- approximately $7 million," said Stephenson, which is less than 20 percent of the first program's funding.

A spokesperson for the EPA said the agency will not comment on Stephenson's remarks until the final GAO report is issued this fall.

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