'The Leaders They Trusted Lied': Over 170,000 Pages of Newly Released Records Expose 9/11 Air Quality Cover-Up

More than two decades later after the attacks on the Twin Towers, New Yorkcontinues to bring to light what happened in the days that followed. The city has made public thousands of new files on one of the most delicate issues of that tragedy: what those who worked and lived near Ground Zero breathed.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced this Wednesday the release of 40,000 related documents on 9/11, in addition to the records on air quality at Ground Zero disclosed in September. In total, they exceed 200,000 pages and can be consulted on a portal created by the city.

The release comes after a legal battle lasting several years and puts an end to two lawsuits by the organization 9/11 Health Watch. Mamdani recalled that emergency crews, elected officials, and relatives of victims of illnesses linked to 9/11 had been demanding these documents for years.

The memorandum that warned of toxic air

The portal includes the so-called Harding Memorandum, attributed to Robert Harding, deputy mayor in 2001. It privately warned of the serious risks of exposure to toxic substances, while municipal and federal authorities assured that the air in Lower Manhattan was safe.

It also brings together the 170,000 documents from the so-called Box 68, which according to those affected show that information about the air’s toxicity was concealed. Benjamin Chevat, executive director of 9/11 Health Watch, said that his review has revealed “a troubling picture”.

More documents in the coming months

Mamdani argued that the survivors and More documents in the coming months cannot be limited to the anniversary of the attacks, and indicated that more files will be published in the coming months.

More documents in the coming months to maintain the portal. City Hall announced staff dedicated to recovering certificates for those who need to prove they were in the exposure zone and apply for help from federal programs.