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"We realize that this is different territory for a science magazine, butwe were compelled to report this story," said Bob Guccione, CEO and Publisherof Discover Media LLC. "The EPA was mandated to apply their scientificknowledge in assessing threats to the public and conducting clean up; theyfailed on both counts. This report has given these survivors of the attack avoice for the first time."
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In the report, Dr. Thomas Cahill, professor of physics and atmosphericscience at the University of California at Davis, reveals that contaminatedair (containing highly toxic aerosols) often extended "more than a mile fromground zero, far outside the safety zones established by the EPA." Cahill alsofound that a person exposed to these fumes for just a few hours could inhalepoisons that would normally have taken a year to accumulate in a typicalenvironment.
Mason reports on emerging long-term health effects associated withexposure to asbestos and other toxins released into the air that day andestimates that the number of seriously ill New Yorkers could one day climb to300,000. About 70,000 New Yorkers have listed themselves with the World TradeCenter Health Registry so far.
DISCOVER's Mason combed through hundreds of pages of EPA documentation on9/11, including memos, cleanup recommendations for the site, and updates onair and water quality. Mason also details a report from the Office of theInspector General proving that important public health information was heldback by the White House, and that a deliberate decision was made to keep NewYorkers in the dark about the dangers they faced. And, as the report finds,the area still has not been cleared of toxins.
"We have to clean this up; it was never done properly," states New York'sRepresentative Jerrold Nadler in the report. "There is no excuse for not doingit properly. At the Pentagon site nobody got sick there because they enforcedthe safety laws."
In conjunction with publication of this article, DISCOVER has added asection to its website that includes articles and a blog to foster discussionamong those who suffered in the 9/11 aftermath, allowing individuals who areexperiencing health problems to share their experiences and symptoms.
The first article in the website special section is an exclusive interviewwith Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., who has worked on public health issuesfollowing the 9/11 attack and who reveals that the EPA and other federalagencies have shut their libraries and data on the health disaster to thepublic and to health teams like his. Landrigan also addresses the healthrisks posed by the fallout for the 46,000 children who attend school in theaffected area. Report and blog can be accessed at www.discovermagazine.com.
The October issue of DISCOVER, which hits newsstands nationwide onSeptember 11, 2007, also explores the status of America's science labs,research universities, medical establishments, and science education, as wellas technological advancements and international competition. This issue marksthe beginning of an ongoing exploration by DISCOVER to spark public discussionamong readers and policy makers, including the current presidential hopefuls,about the quality of science in the United States.
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