WHY did the Bush Admin restrict the EPA in what it said about the air in Manhattan after 9/11?

[ck4829]

Christine Todd Whitman appeared twice in New York City after the September 11 attacks to inform New Yorkers that the toxins released by the attacks posed no threat to their health. On September 18 the EPA released a report in which Whitman said, "Given the scope of the tragedy from last week, I am glad to reassure the people of New York and Washington, D.C. that their air is safe to breathe and their water is safe to drink."

Later, a 2003 report by the EPA's inspector general determined that such assurances were misleading, since when the statements were made the EPA "did not have sufficient data and analyses" to justify them. Further, the report found that the White House had "convinced EPA to add reassuring statements and delete cautionary ones" by having the National Security Council control EPA communications after the September 11 attacks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Todd_Whitman#Environmental_Protection_Agency

[SoCalDem]

1. Because even a dummy like me, saw that dust cloud & said ASBESTOS.

The age of those buildings made it unavoidedly true that they were LOADED with asbestos..

Everyone in the area that day (and afterwards) breathed in a LOT of particulate matter and will pay for it in later years..

*² and Rudy feared lawsuits.

[americanstranger]

2. They were desperate to get the stock market open.

To the point where they put the health of everyone in lower Manhattan (and those who came to work there as well) at risk to do it.

Whitman should be prosecuted for that lie. She signed a number of death warrants the day she prematurely proclaimed the air safe.

- as

[StarryNite]

3. Why?

Wall Street

[noise]

4. Compassionate conservatism n/t

[rainy]

5. They wanted the gold to be found. As soon as the gold was found they moved

everyone out. Said the air may not be so good after all. The firemen wanted to keep looking for their buddies and they were made to leave, of course, after the gold was found. Do you all remember that story. It lasted all of 5 mins. in the news.

[KT2000]

6. You might be surprised that

after 9/11 the forum for occupational and environmental medicine doctors (Duke University forum) had many arguing that regardless of the danger to people in the area, the workers were needed to clean up and people return to "normal."
The web site for the American College of Occ. Env. Medicine contained ONLY information about dealing with the psychological stress of the situation.

The medical community supported what Whitman said by their deeds. There was really no one who stood up for the health of the people except for possibly lawyers.

In short - they wanted the financial markets to get back to work. They wanted the health effects minimized because it would set a precedence for future environmental disasters if it wasn't. Until this point environmental/chemical injuries have been manageable for those who could be held liable because it is rarely acknowledged.

What you saw after 9/11 and the subsequent decision by the courts has codified the fact that it is not outrageous to dispose of humans and their health even when the danger is obvious.

Believe me - there is NO system that is set up to handle human health in such a situation. The system is set up to preserve corporations and their interests.

[happydreams]

7. Halliburton subsidiary WR Grace installed asbestos in

the WTC.

BTW WR Grace was also on a list of companies were a surge of put options were purchased just prior to 9/11

Google: "WR Grace"+Halliburton+WTC

[Divernan]

8. Bush had James Connaughton distort the original EPA reports

The original, early EPA reports concluded the air and water were not safe in southern Manhattan. However, Bush (or more likely Cheney) told Whitman to submit the EPA reports to the White House for review before said reports were released to the public. The man who reviewed them, and unconscionably doctored them, was James Connaughton, who was the head of Bush's White House Council on Environmental Quality. Connaughton is the individual who changed the reports to read that it was safe for people IMMEDIATELY to return to Ground Zero. As others have stated, up-thread, it was to get Wall Street up and running ASAP. Ironically, the Republican administration therefore exposed all their republican Wall Street traders to toxic air. The kinds of toxins, such as asbestos, can take up to 20 years before people exposed to them develop mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lungs - every breath is excruciatingly painful). And there were dozens of other toxins creating a lethal soup in every breath taken. Whitman went along with the distortions, but I would like to see Connaughton personally held to account. And so did Rudy Guiliani of course.

Tens of thousands of men, women and children who worked, lived or went to school in southern Manhattan were exposed to all these toxins for many months. The worst injured of course were the rescue and clean-up workers at Ground Zero.

Connaughton began his legal career working on behalf of asbestos victims who worked in the major construction trades. Then he went over to the dark side and joined a large Washington firm representing corporate polluters and helping them evade as much environmental responsibility as possible, laughingly referred to as "environmental management and compliance assurance systems, legislation, regulation, etc." So he knew damn well, and in excruciating detail the agonies suffered by asbestos victims - but he evidently figured, hey, in 20 years I'll be dead or otherwise out of the public eye and won't be held accountable.

How bad is this guy? During President Bush’s first term, Connaughton coordinated the development of mislabeled major Administration initiatives such as the national (un)Clean Air strategy; (un)Healthy forests restoration legislation; etc. He has led the blocking of the US participating in the Kyoto Treaty and any other environmental initiatives.

[WinkyDink]

9. $$$$$

[derby378]

10. The Bush administration is secretive about everything. Why should 9/11 be any different?

Bush and Cheney testified about 9/11 behind closed doors, no oath, no transcript, Secret Service agents confiscating any pens or paper that anyone tried to bring into the chamber. So why does this surprise you?