9/11's delayed legacy: cancer for many of the rescue workers

Guardian.co.uk ^ | 11-11-09 | Ed Pilkington

[444Flyer]

A spate of recent deaths of New York police and fire officers who took part in the emergency operation at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks has heightened fears that it could be the start of a delayed epidemic of cancer-related illness.

Five firefighters and police officers, all of whom were involved in the rescue and clear-up at the site of the collapsed Twin Towers, have died of cancer in the past three months, the oldest being 44. Three died last month within a four-day period.

Those three were Robert Grossman, a Harlem-based police officer who spent several weeks at the emergency site and died of a brain tumour aged 41; fellow police officer Cory Diaz, 37; and firefighter Richard Mannetta, 44.

In addition, John McNamara, a 44-year-old firefighter, died in September; and Renee Dunbar, a police officer in her late 30s, died in August.

The cluster of cancer deaths comes as Congress is under pressure to pass legislation that would provide federal help to emergency workers who have contracted illnesses since 9/11. Campaigners hope that a bill will be put to the House of Representatives by the end of the year that would set up a $10bn (£6bn) national fund for hundreds of people who now have cancer, respiratory illnesses and other diseases that may be linked to their work at the World Trade Centre site.

Up to 70,000 people took part in the massive operation at Ground Zero, including police, firefighters and construction workers who came to New York voluntarily from all over the US. Many worked for months amid a toxic soup of dust and chemicals.

[444Flyer]

The body count goes up for 9/11?

Prayers up for these heroes.

[444Flyer]

The chemicals and toxic fumes from New York's Twin Towers on September 11 2001 may have a long-term effect on rescue workers. Photograph: Graham Morrison/AP

[Perdogg]

I want to be perfectly clear. These people deserve help regardless on why or how they got sick. However, I think more statistical research is needed before we create another class plaintiffs.

[mamelukesabre]

5 people die of cancer in NYC and this is cause for alarm??

Whatever.

[444Flyer]

Five firefighters and police officers, all of whom were involved in the rescue and clear-up at the site of the collapsed Twin Towers, have died of cancer in the past three months, the oldest being 44. Three died last month within a four-day period.

There's some serious statistical research.

[hinckley buzzard]

70,000 workers. Five cancer deaths, eight years later. Do I have this right?

[444Flyer]

BTW It is important this is thoroughly researched. If these deaths are related to the work they did at Ground Zero, they need to be added to the number of victim's listed for that terrorist attack IMO.

[Thank You Rush]

This was a priority for Hillary Clinton when she was running for reelection to the Senate. Just another broken promise along the campaign trail, I guess. I’ll bet she touts it as one of her accomplishments as a Senator though.

[Right Wing Assault]

I would never work in that crap without a good mask.

[Ditter]

I probably would have died of asthma if I had been any where around there. But this seems like a very few cancer deaths when you consider how many people worked and lived around that dust heap for months and years while it was being cleaned up. The MSM is always looking for tragedies to write about.

[wtc911]

My brother worked three blocks up. Three people from his office have died from some form of oral cancer since 9.11.01. He himself had surgey to remove tumors.

I worked the pit at GZ for 30 hours and coughed for a year afterwards. I know dozens of workers who have been hit with cancer or respitory ailments since then.

[giotto]

No. Did you read the article?

The New York state health department has recorded 817 deaths of emergency workers but it cannot confirm categorically how many of those were directly linked to the site.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I would never work in that crap without a good mask.

Your house is on fire with your kids inside.
Would you wait for an oxygen tank & mask first?
Same mindset for those who helped clear the remains of WTC.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

From the article:

Amid the pollutants within the giant pile of 1.8m tons of debris and the surrounding air were 90,000 litres of jet fuel from the two stricken planes, about 1,000 tons of asbestos that was used in the construction of the Twin Towers, pulverised lead from computers, mercury and highly carcinogenic by-products from the burning of plastics and chlorinated chemicals.

[Right Wing Assault]

The house fire is immediate life or death. Clearing debris for weeks and months is not. No need to do permanent damage to yourself.

A friend of mine was cutting his basement floor with a concrete saw. I told him he should wear a mask. I wore one, he didn’t. When he was finished, he was doubled over coughing and ended up coughing for days. Why did he do that?

I see people running commercial mowers all day, every day with no hearing protection. Their hearing will eventually be a wreck. Why do that?