EPA Throws Up a Stop Sign; Halts Return of WTC Cars

March 18, 2002
The dust-covered cars sitting at Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island will have to stay parked a while longer, following a request from EPA that New York hold off releasing them to their owners.

The dust-covered cars sitting at Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island will have to stay parked a while longer.

The city of New York planned to start returning some 1,000 cars recovered from the World Trade Center debris today, but the Environmental Protection Agency threw up a roadblock following protests and questions from environmental and citizen groups and the media.

The city planned to release the cars and trucks to owners and insurance companies, despite concerns that the dust covering the cars contained as much as 3 percent asbestos, as well as lead, mercury and other potentially hazardous substances. The owners of the cars and trucks sued the city in February, demanding their return.

"To release cars to owners is highly irresponsible," says Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). On March 14, Nadler wrote a letter to the EPA Administrator Christie Whitman urging her to step in and prevent the release of the cars. On March 15, EPA asked for a meeting with city officials before the cars are released.

Although the city agreed to hold off releasing the cars, Kelly McKinney, associate commissioner for Environmental Health at the New York City Department of Health says the data indicates that there is "no significant risk to human health."

Not everyone agrees. The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), a union-based safety and health organization, has been outspoken in its criticism of the cleanup methods (or lack thereof) utilized in Lower Manhattan, claiming that workers hired to perform the cleanup, as well as area residents and other workers, are being exposed to hazards.

"We think returning the cars is a public hazard," says NYCOSH spokesman Jonathan Bennett. "They''ll go to body shops, they''ll go to garages... the workers who are cleaning these cars are not even going to know they will be faced with the hazard."

Many of the cars have very little damage, and those opposed to the return of the vehicles worry that some owners might just wash them off and try to resell them. The city, when it notified owners they could pick up the cars, sent them a three-page letter of instructions on how to decontaminate the cars. They also informed the owners that the cars could not be driven away, that they had to be covered in tarps and hauled away on flat-bed trucks.

by Sandy Smith ([email protected])

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EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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