Re-Post of our 20 Year Anniversary of 9/11, 10-Year Anniversary of the World Trade Center Health Program. Lesson Learned?
On September 11, 2001, Future Environment Designs (FEDTC) was teaching an asbestos supervisor refresher and an asbestos inspector initial course at the Underhill Blvd. Syosset office. We were some of the fortunate individuals who were not in New York City when terrorists hijacked airplanes and proceeded to fly them into the World Trade Centers (WTC), the Pentagon, and crashed another in Pennsylvania. On that day hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to a massive cloud of toxic gases and particulates from the terrorist attack on the WTC. Significant failings by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) led to tens of thousands of people who participated in the ensuing rescue, recovery, and clean-up efforts being exposed to the WTC toxic dust. Nearly a half million people are estimated to be at increased risk of adverse health effects from exposures to physical, psychological, and emotional stressors in the days, weeks, and months following the terrorist attacks. This year we honor their sacrifice on the 20th Anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center. On January 2, 2011, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2012 (the Zadroga Act) created the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). The WTCHP is administered by the director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). So this year is also the 10th Anniversary of the WTCHP. We have no intention of changing our logo which depicts the NYC skyline with the WTC. The WTCHP provides medical monitoring and treatment of covered health conditions for emergency responders, survivors, recovery and cleanup workers, and volunteers who helped at the WTC, the Pentagon, and the crash site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and maintains a research program aimed to improve the care and well-being of the affected population. The WTCHP serves four groups of people affected by the 9/11 attacks: Fire Department of New York Responders, World Trade Center General Responders, World Trade Center Survivors
