September 6, 2006
Study Says 9/11 Workers' Health Compromised
The evidence keeps piling up. Yesterday, Mount Sinai released a study showing that about 70% of Ground Zero workers have respiratory issues. The study was conducted amongst 9,442 workers who were at Ground Zero in the days after September 11, with the majority of them having "new or worsened chronic breathing conditions since responding to the attacks." Mount Sinai Medical Center's Dr. Robin Herbert said, ""There should no longer be any doubt about the health effects of the World Trade Center. Our patients are sick and are going to need health monitoring and treatment for the rest of their lives." Further, the head of Mount Sinai's community and preventive medicine Philip Landrigan said, "What these people inhaled was extremely toxic. It was pulverized dust. It was like Drano. It penetrated deep in the lungs, deep in the sinus cavities."
At the press conference for the release of the study, Democrats Senator Hillary Clinton, Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, urged for more federal funding for health treatment. Yet Mayor Bloomberg, when questioned later on, said, "I don't believe that you can say specifically a particular problem came from this particular effect. There is no way to tell for sure, and you've got to be very careful. If I say, 'I've got something because of this,' that's just not the way science works." He had not read the report, and was in the midst of announcing the city's creation of the WTC Environmental Health Center at Bellevue Hospital to address 9/11-related health issues. While we understand the Mayor needs to remain circumspect and have time to analyze the study himself, we'd think he'd try to remain a little more compassionate. It's not like the folks at Mount Sinai are quacks.
amNew York looks at the health issues of a police officer who was at Ground Zero for 400 hours and now has "pulmonary sarcoidosis -- a scarring of the lungs and inflammation of vital organs." The Daily News has reactions from workers ("I'm not surprised at all, because I've had so many problems and I've known a lot of people who died.") and an editorial that asks for action.
You can read the study here (PDF). And check out the NY Times' coverage of September 11 - Five Years Later.
Photograph of workers looking for victims in the days after September 11, 2001 from Stephen Chernin/AP (file)
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Ummm.. No sh*t? Why aren't these people angry at the 19 Hijackers or Saudi Arabia? Why are they angry at the Federal Government? Even if the Fed said.. the air is toxic.. stay away! Do you think you would have been able to keep those firefighters from digging for their brothers? This is nonsense. Everyone knew the air was toxic from day one. What are buildings of that era made with? Asbestos.. and what about all the other things that were in that dust.. mercury.. silica.. countless other toxants. Anyone could have figured that out then. The best they could have done was worn a respirator -- which WAS provided. Yet many chose NOT to.. voluntarily. So why are they so angry at the wrong party now? This isn't anyone's fault..except for 19 scumbags and their backers. No one could have ever predicted that those buildings would have come down so easily.
I was at West Broadway and Warren about a month after 9/11 and there was a FEMA guy sitting in a car doing paperwork - with a mask on.
The same way that 911 turned into a catastropy is the same results from the clean up.
Firemen and policemen rushed into a building that was not wired for the communication level they needed. The building was a death trap and they did not have the instinct, foreknowledge, forsight to know to stay away or at least get out.
The heap that different workers cleaned up afterwards was the same scenario. They were so emotionally affected by the disaster that they did not think to look out for their own best interests. They should have had gas or toxin masks immediately. There should be no blame passed around in regards to the pollution that they inhaled. When a person is trying to save a life, they don't think of the risks. But they did chose to take the risk. However, the local government knew that terroism was an issue in 1955 thru 2001. They should have had gas masks already available. The airplane scenario was also a forethought. The local government should have been better prepared. They took nothing seriously. BUMS.
Now, just like the 911 victims, the clean up crew are victims. I remember smelling what the wind was carrying to Brooklyn. Everytime I crossed the bridge on the D train, several times a day, I inhaled who knows what? My Vietnam friends, in Brooklyn, stated repeatedly that they smelt burnt flesh and fuel. It was a reminder of thier war days.
There should be health care, free of charge, for all people who were in a 200 miles radius of the wind smoke and debris.
Everyone had respirators and masks available ON 9/11 (and every day thereafter) that was at Ground Zero -- whether they chose to wear them or not. Everyone is getting government sponsored health care free. These people want "restitution" and compensation for their injuries. They want the Federal Government to give them millions of dollars. For what?
No one could have ever predicted that those buildings would have come down so easily.
[1] Posted by: DocHollyWoodWasAGoodMovie | September 6, 2006 9:43 AM
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If Osama bin Laden can think to hit several targets, why can't Americans think it could be a disaster? You can't be talking about smart people in relationship to predictions. You must be thinking of the lazy dumb people who can't think their way out of a paper bag. If the information was in the right hands, it would not have happened. If the FBI was communicating with the CIA and the local governments, the scenario would have been different.
I disagree. It could have been predicted. If the "19 scumbags and their backers" had threatened to use airplanes, why not predict that they would fly, not one, but ten airplanes into one specific building. It is a fact, that the United States Federal Government anticpated the scenario for the Pentagon and the World Trade Center security antipated that terrorism would rear it's ugly head again. One guy, head of security at the World Trade Center, predicted airplanes. The Pentagon had already executed several exercises for the scenario in previous years, before 911. With the military minds that we have, why were they not thinking more defensively. You can't say that they were busy fighting a war. They simply did not care to expand the thought. They simply did too little. Why pay Generals and Commanding Officers six figure salaries, and award them at peace time with medals when they are not thinking in terms of how to keep the country safe at all cost. Where was Donald Rumsfeld then?
uh, because total safety is a lot like total control: a totalitarian nightmare.
why pay them? that's a good question. but the idea of total safety is retarded beyond thinking.
fwiw, everyone i know who worked down there - not even talkinga bout recovery, but in the area - in the days and months afterwards, myself included, have a permanent cough of sorts. which is, uh, quite bad.
I am speaking of an adult concept of safety. I guess total safety is a bit of a stretch.
However, safety is not an unrealistic concept. It only requires organized efforts. A no tolerance mentality help also.
It is the job of the military to understand defensive and offensive tactics to prevent an escalation of casualties. It is the job of the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State to prevent international conflict. That has to include national. Terrorism like 911 can not be handled by the local government. As I said, if terrorist are making threats towards the citizens and the country's infrastructure, someone has to put a few plans into affect to prevent the success of those threats.
For example, the "no fly zone" came a little to late. It is military jets that escort airplanes out or into the USA if they are considered a threat.
not everyone was given a resperator. most were only handed paper masks. research has shown that the paper masks that they handed out were not effective. The EPA was even saying that the area was safe. if the EPA say its safe, than why worry.
My name is Dorothy Brown known on mmost web sites as a survivor because i have had sarcoidosis for 40# years now. I was diagnosed when I was only 24 and literally knew nothing about the disease except they told me they knew a man had lived 20 years with it but what they forgot to tell me was who that man lived those 20 years.
My hubby and myself neither one expected me to be around at my age of 64.
I was diagnosed twice with it and the second time it was really awful. They put me on the pred so strong they had to counter act that with so much nerve meds or i wouold neve sleep. I am saying all this to try to bring more attention to this myster diaease because I never saw or talked with anyone who had it unitl almost 20 years later. I was sent to Duke for a diagnosis and was confirmed and went on a grant for 4 years.
A lady called me from the place wher I first waorked and her doctor told her the job she held was what activated her diseasse. She was suing them and later on on 80 people who worked there were found to have sarcoidosis and i was on one of the many people to say i would stand up for her in court and let them know how it affected my life. I asked my doctor at Duke if he could say that it was caused for working there and he said he could not say it definetely could but it was quite surprizing when i heard the plant was being shup down. By the way the lady that i was talking about passed away a few years ago while waiting for a transplant(lung). Her husband is continuing with a wrongdeath action against the company.
This might not mean anything to anyone but I thought I would just put it out there. If anyone is interested in chatting with me my e-mail is danby1935@yahoo.com
As of right now i am doing okay except for what the parts of the body that hte prednisone damaged when it was full blown. I now have refused pred for the last 4 years. My life when i am on the pred is nil.
I do take natural products and they seem to have helped but who knows because i have not been followed by a doctor because they always want me to go on pred so i just go to a general pract and she knows my feelings and helps me any way she can.
I have also been diagnosed with Fibro- have had a light stroke and a silent heart attact which has healed and the doctors don't understand why.
I do relay on my faith, family and friends and most of all my hubby of 45 years.