Firefighters demand answers on Ground Zero toxic air ahead of 25th anniversary

MANHATTAN (WABC) -- FDNY union leaders are demanding answers about newly released 9/11 air-quality records that they say raise serious questions about what government officials knew regarding toxic conditions at Ground Zero, where more firefighters have since died from related illnesses than were killed in the attacks themselves.

The response comes a day after Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered the release of more than 170,000 pages of long-withheld documents related to air quality in Lower Manhattan following the collapse of the World Trade Center. According to the mayor, the records indicate government leaders were aware of the dangers posed by burning toxins at Ground Zero and expressed concerns about potential lawsuits tied to chemical exposure.

FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association President Robert Eustace and Uniformed Fire Officers Association President James Brosi, both Ground Zero responders, will join firefighters and fire officers in Manhattan later this morning to speak about the continuing health crisis facing those who spent months working at the disaster site.

Union leaders pointed to a grim milestone: 453 FDNY members have died from World Trade Center-related illnesses, surpassing the 343 firefighters who died on Sept. 11, 2001. An FDNY World Trade Center Health Program report found that more than 12,000 FDNY members have been diagnosed with at least one illness linked to their exposure at Ground Zero.

The newly released records were stored in a city building and had not previously been made public. City officials say the documents confirm what many first responders and advocates have long suspected: that the air in Lower Manhattan contained hazardous toxins that lingered for months following the attacks.

Mamdani said the documents reveal a stark contrast between what officials knew and what survivors ultimately received.

"It would be one thing if government had stood alongside survivors and provided them with everything they needed at every step of the way. And yet we know that could not be further from what actually happened," the mayor said.

Eustace and Brosi said they plan to address the ongoing toll on firefighters and their families, the need for continued healthcare and monitoring, and what they describe as the importance of transparency regarding toxic exposure affecting first responders.

The developments come as New York City prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The NYPD is adding names to its Remembrance Wall honoring officers who responded on 9/11 or later died from related illnesses, while firefighters are scheduled to gather on Staten Island for a commemoration. Security around the World Trade Center site is also increasing ahead of Friday's anniversary ceremonies.

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