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9/11's Delayed Legacy: Cancer for Many of the Rescue Workers
A spate of cancer-related illnesses among New York's rescue services who worked at Ground Zero sparks fear of an epidemic
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.
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) 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.
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.
No official tally is available for the number of those who have died as a result of the 9/11 clear-up. 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.
Federal funds for ill emergency workers ran out in 2003 and, since then, the onus has fallen on cash-strapped New York city, which is facing up to 10,000 claims for compensation through the courts. Families of those who have died say that the burden should be shouldered by the nation as a whole.
Robert Grossman's father, Stephen, drew a parallel with the $3bn the federal government spent this year on buying up old cars under the "cash-for-clunkers" scheme. "They spent that, but they don't have a dime for people who volunteered after 9/11 and ended up giving their lives for their country."
The 911 Police Aid Foundation, a group run by and for sick police officers, says it is helping more than 100 officers who worked at Ground Zero and who now have cancer. The group is receiving new cases at a rate of about one a week, many of which are extremely rare at such young ages.
Michael Valentin, who volunteers for the group, spent about four months working around the pile of debris from the towers. He now has lymphatic tumours in his chest, as well as asbestos poisoning.
"We all have terminal illnesses, we are all going to die. We just want to help others by showing them that they are not alone," he said.
The bill currently before Congress, which is named after James Zadroga, a police officer who died in 2006, would provide for the health monitoring and treatment of an additional 15,000 emergency workers. Paradoxically, it would not cover cancer, which was not perceived as a priority at the time the legislation was drafted though numbers have escalated since then.
Claire Calladine, a campaigner who runs the organisation 9/11 Health Now, said the fear was that the recent rise in cancer cases was just the start.
"We have only seen the tip of the iceberg. How bad will it get - that is the big question."
15 Comments so far
Show AllThis is standard treatment. We working people are *expected* to give our lives for the benefit of the wealthy. It's what we're *for*.
The ruling class that made such indecent haste to destroy evidence, that refused to conduct a proper forensic investigation, and that continues to exploit the tragedy for its own profit --how can we possibly believe that they give a damn for anyone but themselves.
Not to mention, The Neocon CANCER STILL growing on the presidency!
And remember that the EPA lied in the days following 9/11, saying that the air in Lower Manhattan was "safe to breathe."
Oh no! That is just another conspiracy theory by a bunch of wacko's. The Government never lies to the American people and all those people got sick because they had preexisting conditions. And I am sure they told the truth about WTC building #7 that fell because of the concussion. Also, don't forget that special shown on National Geographic that proved all the conspiracy theories of Steven Jones about Thermite were completely false. And of course, please do not forget the comprehensive and thorough investigation by the 911 commission!
It is horrible that these compassionate people who worked so hard to help the survivors of that terrible event are now victims of the collapse of the World Trade Center. Adding these victims to the list should increase the pressure to have a reevaluation of the events of that day. There is considerable evidence that two planes did not take down three buildings---but that the cause of the collapse of those structures was controlled demolition.
Now Obama is considering sending more troops to continue and expand that illegal war in Afghanistan. The reason given for this war was that the people who planned and executed the attack on 9/11 came from that nation. This war is planned to continue for years adding to the financial collapse of our nation.
We know that President Bush II was a liar and gave false reasons for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Learning the truth of the events of 9/11 may lead to an end of these wars and the redirection of our tax funds to our domestic programs.
An independent study of the events of 9/11 may force President Obama to look backward in order for us to move forward.
As a civil engineer, I can assure you that manner that the buildings collapsed looks absolutely nothing like controlled, or for that matter, even a sloppy, explosive demolition job.
There is no evidence outside from non fact-checked web sites for any such secretly planted explosives.
Please go here, with an open mind ans senses operational:
http://www.debunking911.com/
This has nothing to do with he obvious lies from both the NY municipal and federal government regarding the extremely toxic results of the building collapse.
An organization of professional architects and engineers says the opposite in their convincing film "9/11: Blueprint For Truth." They say the building collapses look exactly like controlled demolition, and they are indeed certain they were brought down by controlled demolition.
See: http://www.ae911truth.org/
How many other buildings have ever collapsed as those 3 did (own footprint, frame completely demolished, pulverised cladding, molten metal pools)? If there were any, was there any commonality in the experience of the buildings prior to collapse?
I think the video I mentioned above answers those questions.
Excellently put, wantrealdemocracy!
People who don't swallow the official story of the towers coming down are relegated to the fringe as "conspiracy theory wing-nuts". Putting a label on someone usually disposes of them, leaving the masses anesthetized, comfortable numb.
Instead of looking backward in order to look forward, this "Hope Administration", filled with criminals from Bush II's cesspool, is denying history and doomed to repeat it.
I'm sickened by the direction "America the Beautiful" has taken.
A lot of volunteers have died, too, and in part from denial of health care.
Typically, in this type of thing, a statistical study of the deaths shows a long, trailing "tail". Those closest all die and die early. Moving farther from the site, a smaller percentage dies, and their deaths are spaced further apart chronologically.
But by the end the gross majority of the deaths by chemicals, if not by the initial heat and shock of the explosion, happen in the long tail.
We have something close to half a century of this ahead, a clear cost of US policies in the Near East that have not changed markedly since FDR.
It's worth mentioning that the firefighters and police were all covered by health insurance (and disability insurance) which was mandated by government and provided by private insurance companies.
Sound familiar? It should, because it's pretty much the same model as the bill that just passed the House of Representatives.
It's called Workers Compensation Insurance, and it works .... like shit! Government mandates that employers buy it, but private insurance companies control the benefits. And, they are in business "to make money, not friends." The money comes in, but it doesn't go out. Injured employees get little or nothing. No medical care, and no disability benefits.
What about the government regulations that insurance companies must follow? Good question.
The answer -- as has been demonstrated by decades of workers comp experience -- is that the powerful insurance companies throw their lawyers at every claim, achieving victories and building up legal precedants that eventually allow them to deny most claims with little fear of consequences. They also throw their money and lobbyists at legislators to get them to tweak the laws in their favor. They also place their own operatives in executive positions within the government agencies which oversee the insurance regulations. They pay armies of goons and thugs to jack up injured and ill employees. It's a rigged game that injured employees are losing, and the insurance pirates and their whores are winning.
So, health care reform? New regulations? Mandatory purchases of health insurance by millions of new customers?
"Do anything you will, but please, please don't throw me into the Briar Patch," says Brer Insurance Industry.
Pulease, Pulease, SMELL DA COFFEEE!
911Trut
Micky Ruppert-Sherbert
VAKE DA ---- OOP!
9/11 follies indeed.
I would like to thank the 911 team at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York for persisting on this issue. They continue to treat people and collect data despite attempts by some to discourage them or shut them down based on the claim that they are no longer needed, the project is not cost-effective etc. One motivation for trying to shut them down is the threat that their data could be used as evidence in lawsuits against those who falsely assured all of us that there were no toxins or dangers at the site.
These particular doctors and researchers at Mt. Sinai exhibit an ethic that is uncommon. That team has found a continuing and increasing high incidence of harmful physical conditions and a high number of psychological after-effects and has been clear and truthful in their reporting.
Joe
When several large buildings with thousands of chemical laden computers, polywhatever furniture and carpets, and extensive wiring burn up...
When mineral components of a building shatter into fine particles coating everyone nearby until they look like plaster statues...
When an ordinary human nose can smell the headache producing fumes of burning plastics for several weeks...
Anyone with common sense knew there was dangerous stuff around. I was completely furious at the EPA for issuing false reports about the safety. If they had been truthful, people could have used masks and other safety equipment.
I live across the river and had these noxious odors coming into my windows for weeks. I cannot imagine what it was like at ground zero.
But as usual the word "hero" covered up a complete disregard for those selfless people in the trenches. Bush and Giuliani had their minds on their own agendas and their own careers.
Joe