O
P E N I N G S T A T E M E N T
Senator
George Voinovich
Field
Hearing on the Air Quality and Health Impacts
of the
September 11th attack on the World Trade Center
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Monday
February 11, 2002
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Mr.
Chairman, thank you for holding today=s
hearing on the air quality and health impacts of the September 11th
attack on the World Trade Center. I
would also like to especially thank Senator Clinton for bringing this important
issue to my attention and the attention of this Subcommittee and the U.S.
Senate.
As I
said on September 11th, our first responsibility is to secure the
support the victims and their families will need in the days and the months
ahead and pray that God will bless and comfort them. Today part of that support is to ensure that those who work,
live and attend school in the area are safe and are not exposed to situations
which put their health at risk.
In
addition, we have a very important responsibility to the emergency responders
and the thousands of workers and volunteers who have dealt with the ongoing
tragedy at ground zero everyday since September 11th. Our nation owes these brave men and women
our gratitude and our thanks. Many of
the workers left their families for days and weeks at a time, working long
difficult hours, at emotionally difficult tasks most Americans can not
image. When I toured ground zero
shortly after the attack I was struck with the dedication and hard work of all
of the volunteers and the fact that the television coverage did not do justice
to the devastation that I saw.
The
bravery, professionalism, and sacrifice of the men and women of the New York
Fire and Police Departments and other emergency workers is an inspiration to us
all. These men and women are true heros
in every sense of the word. While all
of New York and America should be proud of the quick response of the New York
rescue workers, we all should be equally proud of the volunteers from across
the country who responded to the call for help. I am particularly proud of the seventy-four members of Ohio Task
Force One who were mobilized on September 11th and were among the
first out-of-state FEMA teams to respond to the site, where they worked until
September 20th.
I am
also proud of the Federal response to the tragedy by FEMA and the other federal
Agencies. I think it is important as we
evaluate the Federal response, in order to make improvements in the system,
that we do not lose sight of the fact that the terrorism attack on September 11th
was unprecedented in size, scale, and devastation. Nevertheless, some mistakes were inevitable and we must learn
from them.
I am
particularly concerned about the health problems of the emergency responders
and what they were exposed to during their work at ground zero. Equally disturbing is the breakdown by the
Federal government in monitoring the health problems and treatments of the
out-of-state FEMA volunteers following their work at ground zero.
After
Ohio Task Force One returned home, many of them experienced illnesses
apparently caused work at ground zero.
Thirty-seven of the seventy-four emergency responders became ill, three people were hospitalized
with viral pneumonia, eight people experienced extreme weight loss, two people
have been diagnosed with adult onset asthma, one with acute bronchitis and the
rest with various respiratory disorders and rashes. This data was supplied to me by Robert Hessinger, the Logistics
Chief for Ohio Task Force One.
I
was concerned, and I remain concerned, that no Federal agency is monitoring
these workers for health problems. The
workers themselves are concerned because they do not know what they may have
been exposed to during their work in New York.
The only information they have received since returning to Ohio is from
what they have read in the newspapers about potential exposure to
asbestos. This is not acceptable. If these people are going to leave their
families and jobs and risk their lives and health, then the Federal government
owes them the duty to inform them of their health risks and to ensure that they
receive the best medical care, while at the same time safeguarding their
individual privacy.
The
entire FEMA response effort depends upon the willingness of volunteers pitching
in from around the country. If we do
not treat these volunteers with the respect they are due, then we will have a
difficult time convincing people to volunteer for disasters in the future. Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with
you and Senator Clinton and others members of the Subcommittee to ensure that
all of the emergency responders and the residents of New York City get the most
reliable health information and answers to their questions and concerns.
Thank you