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Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), a Member of the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee, made the following statement today regarding the decision by the Federal District Court in New York to allow claims in a WTC-related class-action lawsuit related to air quality at the World Trade Center site to go forward.
"It is reprehensible that the EPA and former Administrator Whitman did not take every precaution possible to ensure that it was safe for workers and residents to return to the site of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. As a result, countless people were subjected to hazardous conditions that pose serious threats to their respiratory health.
"Today we are beginning to see the effects of the negligence of the EPA and former Administrator Whitman in allowing these workers and residents to return to the area before it was safe.
"Evidence has shown that the EPA was aware that hazardous substances were present in the air surrounding the WTC, but refused to take proper precautions under pressure from the White House. I am pleased with Judge Batts' ruling to allow this lawsuit to move forward so that those who failed to act will be held accountable for the damages caused to these individuals." |
