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American Morning

Is Air at Ground Zero Dangerous?

Aired February 11, 2002 - 08:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The question at this hour, is the air at ground zero dangerous? The EPA says it is safe to breathe, but workers at ground zero and residents living nearby still have more questions than answers, and they're afraid. Some 1,300 people have already told the city of New York they are going to sue, mostly because of respiratory ailments. And in a moment, we'll be talking to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton about what she's doing to assess the health situation.

But, first, Michael Okwu with more on the air of uncertainty in lower Manhattan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the weeks following the September 11th attack, long after hope for life had finally faded, residents near ground zero said the air carried the scent of unsettled souls. Today, five months later, it's just unsettling.

NOREEN HENNESSY, DOWNTOWN NYC RESIDENT: There is a feeling of the unknown, you know. And it's continually there.

OKWU: By now, everyone knows that the fall of the twin towers produced a plume of lead, PCBs, pulverized glass and concrete, and asbestos. Noreen Hennessy fled her downtown loft just two blocks north of ground zero with her husband and a new-born boy. Today she is back. Professionals cleaned her home. She threw out personal items that just didn't smell right. But she's still haunted by the nagging question, is the air safe?

HENNESSY: This is unprecedented, so how do we know? No one knows because it's never happened before. So, yes, I'm concerned, you know. I really am.

OKWU: The list of residents' fears is long. One in three firefighters digging at ground zero now have respiratory problems. Doctors' offices have been busy treating patients complaining about the World Trade Center cough. The EPA has taken more than 10,000 air samples, concluding that the outdoor air beyond the perimeter of ground zero is safe. But critics have questioned the EPA's sampling methods. Environmentalists also charge that the EPA hasn't tested residences and businesses. The EPA says that's true, but indoor testing is not their responsibility. That belongs to the city's health department, whose standards, some say, are more lenient than the EPA's. And a leading environmental group will be releasing a study Wednesday critical of the government for failing to have a single agency in charge of overseeing the attack's environmental impact. None of this calms Noreen Hennessy, who doesn't believe anything she hears about the air she breathes.

HENNESSY: No, I don't, because why should I?

OKWU: Michael Okwu, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And some very important hearings will take place on the quality of the air downtown, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will help chair those meetings, and she will be joining us in a minute or two to give us a preview of what we might learn.

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