tailieunhanh - THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACKS: A Preliminary Assessment

Exposure to pollutants from the World Trade Center attacks has come primarily in three phases. First, the collapse of the two 110-story towers and adjacent structures generated high-intensity, peak pollution discharges on September 11th . Second, fires from the crash of two fuel-filled airliners into the Trade Center towers and fires and the resulting smoke plume at Ground Zero following the towers’ collapse created significant additional pollution discharges, which continued to some degree for at least three months. Finally, the resuspension of asbestos, dust, pulverized cement, fiberglass etc., during the cleanup and transport of wastes at Ground Zero and in cleanups of residences and office buildings in. | NRDC The Earth s Best Defense THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE WORLDTRADE CENTER ATTACKS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACKS A Preliminary Assessment February 2002 A Preliminary Assessment Megan D. Nordgrén Eric A. Goldstein Mark A. Izeman Natural Resources Defense Council February 2002 NRDC The Earth s Best Defense THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE WORLDTRADE CENTER ATTACKS A Preliminary Assessment February 2002 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We are extremely grateful to the Surdna Foundation Inc. for its generous special grant to NRDC to support our research and advocacy on the environmental impacts of the September 11th attacks in New York and our work to ensure that whatever projects are built at the former World Trade Center site are models of energy efficiency and sustainable design. We also appreciate the support of the following foundations which have been steadfast supporters of NRDC s urban program in New York for many years Robert Sterling Clark Foundation Inc. The . Kaplan Fund Inc. The New York Times Company Foundation Inc. Edward John Noble Foundation Inc. Lily Auchincloss Foundation Inc. Edith C. Blum Foundation Inc. The Clark Foundation and The New York Community Trust. In addition we wish to thank Dr. Philip J. Landrigan of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Dr. Frederica P. Perera of the Columbia University School of Public Health and Peter Iwanowicz of the American Lung Association of New York for reviewing a draft of this report and for their thoughtful and constructive comments. Of course any errors in this document are the sole responsibility of NRDC. We also offer our genuine thanks to the many other experts who provided information to us including those who spoke with us off-the-record. We also thank our NRDC colleagues Alan Metrick Kathy Parrent Elizabeth Martin Emily Cousins and Liz Kaufman for their valuable guidance and assistance in preparing this report. We are especially grateful to Rita Barol and Ian Wilker at NRDC for .