PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Joel Kupferman, Executive Director and Attorney of New York Environmental Law and Justice Project, on 9/11 Environmental Hazards and City Transparency
2:12:57
ยท
3 min
Joel Kupferman, representing the New York Environmental Law and Justice Project, testified about the city's history of providing inaccurate information regarding 9/11 environmental hazards and the ongoing impact on vulnerable communities. He emphasized the need for transparency, proper enforcement of laws, and the importance of learning from past mistakes to protect current and future victims.
- Highlighted the continued exposure to 9/11 dust in ongoing reconstruction projects
- Criticized the city's failure to report to the occupational lung disease registry as required by New York State law
- Emphasized the need for better awareness and communication of environmental dangers within city departments, including the NYPD
Joel Kupferman
2:12:57
Thank you, council member.
2:12:59
Joel Kupferman in New York Environmental Law and Justice Project, Environmental Justice Initiative.
2:13:06
The city has a history of not giving accurate information.
2:13:09
It does not deliver the truth.
2:13:11
Much of this info that we forced out of the city was achieved because we had federally funded provided facts from the EPA, CDC, and other agencies, but now they've been put out of business.
2:13:22
So it's even more important that we glean the information from the city in its in its own facts.
2:13:29
Enforcement of these laws must be paramount and prioritized, and there hasn't been a continuing enforcement of the law.
2:13:37
Exposure to 911 from the environment is present to every day, particularly environmental justice vulnerable communities like Smith Houses.
2:13:45
Not more than a mile away from here, they're doing reconstruction from Hurricane Sandy.
2:13:51
There's World Trade Center dust that's coming up and being exposed.
2:13:55
At Reef Houses, there's people that are World Trade Center survivors.
2:13:59
Part of the problem is the city has not taken what we've learned from 911.
2:14:03
It's letting it continue now.
2:14:06
There's Brownfields as as we actually worked on a case together where the city employees weren't even apprised of what was there.
2:14:14
So I think it's really important that we look at going forward and not just the 911 victims, but the victims that weren't registered in the World Trade Center, that the city is doing activities now that are putting people in the zone of danger.
2:14:28
We foiled the city, the state, and the feds.
2:14:30
We were the first ones to get it.
2:14:32
New York State said in the beginning, due to ongoing criminal investigation, we're not giving you this data.
2:14:38
The city and the feds gave us troves and troves of documents, but only when there's careful analysis that's out there.
2:14:46
We're the ones that apprise city detail in the city council that this building was intruded upon.
2:14:53
On the website, the city put up a page that just said n d, which we assumed to be no detect, Only when we got the hard copy that we knew that it was the the monitor was clogged.
2:15:06
So I think this with this a long, history of disingenuous information that's given.
Gale A. Brewer
2:15:13
Okay.
Joel Kupferman
2:15:13
But we know and also, I just wanna say one more thing.
2:15:16
New York State law requires there's something called an occupational lung disease registry.
2:15:21
The city, every clinic, and every doctor, and every every PD surgeon, when they had their offices complaining about the effects of a world class enter dust, should have been reported to their registry, and it wasn't.
2:15:34
We would have known week 3, week 4.
Gale A. Brewer
2:15:37
Okay.
Joel Kupferman
2:15:37
So I really urge that the city, not just instituted, but also be
Gale A. Brewer
2:15:42
I I Joel, you gotta wrap up.
2:15:43
I
Joel Kupferman
2:15:43
just wanna say one thing.
2:15:44
I heard all this testimony, but when the when the police department says that they have to hire medical investigators to figure out if the data that they have Okay.
2:15:53
Is is pertinent means that every cop and everyone in the department is not aware of the dangers that are present now.
Gale A. Brewer
2:16:00
I got it.
2:16:01
I got it.
2:16:01
Thank you.
2:16:02
Yep.
2:16:02
Alright.
2:16:03
Who wants to go next?
2:16:04
Who's next?
Joel Kupferman
2:16:04
And also when I just was
Gale A. Brewer
2:16:06
Quick.
Joel Kupferman
2:16:06
This this information was given is 9 discs of information that Tommy the city Okay.
2:16:12
Is looking for