New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday the release of tens of thousands of city documents pertaining to air quality in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The documents, which had been closely guarded for nearly 25 years, indicate that first responders who rushed to the World Trade Center site were likely exposed to dangerous toxins.
The city's online portal now contains the first tranche of 170,000 pages of records. These include memos from city leaders and agencies dating back to the Giuliani administration (1994-2001). Mamdani, joined by 9/11 responders and advocates at City Hall, emphasized the public's need to know the truth.
"People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air," Mamdani stated. "We are here to release these documents today because for a long time New Yorkers have known the truth, but they have been unable to see the truth in any document presented to them."
Among the newly revealed documents is the "Harding Memo," an October 2001 memo from then-Deputy Mayor Robert Harding. This memo reportedly indicated that the city was aware of air quality dangers and potential legal liabilities, even as the city publicly declared the air safe. This memo has been a key focus for 9/11 victims' advocates for decades.
Another released document details the presence of asbestos on the facade ledge of 15 John Street, an area away from Ground Zero, in July 2002, months after the attacks.
In conjunction with the document release, the city announced a settlement for two lawsuits filed by the advocacy group 9/11 Health Watch. The group had sued the city to compel the publication of these records. According to the group, nearly 6,000 people have died from 9/11-related illnesses since the attacks, with many more suffering from chronic conditions.
Advocacy groups had submitted multiple Freedom of Information Act requests for the documents over the years. City officials reported that 68 boxes of records were discovered in a city office only last year.
Jon Stewart, host of "The Daily Show" and a long-time advocate for 9/11 first responders' health benefits, remarked at the press conference that many victims had to fight for these documents while they were "sick and dying." He added, "I'm not saying the information may have changed the outcomes, unfortunately, for their families, but I guarantee you it would not have been the struggle that it was to get people to recognize what they all knew ... that there was poison in the air."
Mamdani refrained from directly blaming previous administrations, stating he would "leave that to New Yorkers," but noted that "administration after administration has ignored those calling for answers and clarity."
The mayor confirmed that the city will continue to support two federal programs established under the Zadroga Act: the World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. These programs are designed to provide assistance to residents and workers who were in downtown Manhattan following the attacks and subsequently developed related illnesses.