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Welcome to the 9/11 Remembrance issue of the September Safety Suzy newsletter.
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As we’re getting into September, we’re looking at the enduring health and safety legacy of 9/11, 25 years after the attacks. We explore the long-term physical and mental health effects of exposure through a new World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program exhibition, emerging research into early-life exposure, and the latest data showing the continuing medical burden among responders and survivors.
We also highlight how 9/11 reshaped fire and life safety standards through a new NFPA archive, examine current efforts to address asbestos exposure, and spotlight upcoming asbestos handler refresher training opportunities.
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| 9/11 Health Effects Exhibition |
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The WTC Health Program and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Museum have created an online exhibition documenting the long-term physical and mental health effects of 9/11 exposure to dust, smoke, debris, and trauma. It explores the emergence of WTC-related conditions, advocacy that established the health program, and research advances that have improved medical understanding and treatment.
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| New 9/11 Research Center to Study Early-Life Exposure |
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The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is establishing a new research coordinating center to investigate the long-term health and educational effects of 9/11 exposure among people who were 21 or younger at the time, including those exposed in utero.
While more than 1,500 studies have documented health effects in 9/11-exposed populations, relatively little research has focused on early-life exposure. The new initiative will examine respiratory and reproductive health, brain and mental health, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions, with community engagement central to the research effort.
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| NFPA Releases 9/11 Safety Archive 25 Years Later |
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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a digital archive commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks and documenting how the World Trade Center tragedy influenced fire and life safety standards. The collection includes reports, photographs, videos, evacuation research, correspondence, and other materials covering emergency response and building safety.
Contributions from NFPA investigators Robert Duval and Rita Fahy highlight lessons from both the 1993 and 2001 attacks, particularly evacuation behavior and firefighter safety. NFPA says the archive demonstrates how established safety systems helped save lives while identifying vulnerabilities that drove significant improvements in high-rise building safety.
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| Straight talk on the issues shaping health and safety, today. |
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| 9/11 Through The Years or When Will We Trust Respirators? |
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Usually, everyone remembers where they were on 9/11. We were in Syosset, instructing an asbestos inspector initial course. 9/11 tends to be a time to look back at what happened during that day and everything that happened afterward.
In looking back, the Mamdani administration has just released more than 170,000 pages of documents related to the air quality around the World Trade Center site in the months after the Sept. 11 attacks (see the NY Times article here). Though the release is interesting in that it documents how much they lied, it only confirms what we already knew. The World Trade Center dust was hazardous and would cause long-term health effects. Hence the creation of the WTC Health Program.
Over the years, we have written several posts regarding 9/11. To read these posts regarding 9/11, click here. Back in 2012, we wrote a Future Focus Newsletter article called “Toxic Dusts – Demolition Implications“. The main article discusses the implications of toxic dusts on demolition, disaster relief, and emergency response workers. Our September 11, 2024 blog post, “Re-Post of our 20th Anniversary of 9/11, 10th Anniversary of the World Trade Center Health Program. Lesson Learned?” We discussed how it seemed we may have learned the lesson that respirators can stop illnesses. In that article, we noted that rescue, recovery, and clean-up efforts at the Miami condo collapse, workers were wearing powered air-purifying respirators. However, many more recent articles (“What the Newest Research on Wildfire Smoke Tells Us“) have documented problems with exposure to wildfire smoke, and the lack of use of respirators (“Wildfire Fighters, Unmasked in Toxic Smoke, Are Getting Sick and Dying“) to protect workers.
When will we learn that respirators can prevent illnesses? When will we learn that smoke and dust are dangerous? When will learn to trust our senses? If it doesn’t smell right, we shouldn’t be breathing it in!
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| Asbestos at a Crossroads (Watch Webinar) |
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Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization’s (ADAO) 2026 webinar examined the latest legal, regulatory, scientific, and legislative efforts to end asbestos exposure in the United States. Experts highlighted ongoing risks from legacy asbestos, EPA’s chrysotile asbestos rule and legacy risk evaluation, Fifth Circuit litigation, consumer product recalls, and congressional efforts to pass the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act.
While the science linking asbestos to disease is settled, exposure remains possible. Speakers emphasized stronger regulation, comprehensive legislation, prevention, and sustained public health advocacy.
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The Role of Asbestos Inspections in Construction Safety Course – 0.5 Hr
This course is part of a package that includes a book & a laminated Bulk Sampling chart. Together, all three form an educational platform for asbestos inspection, environmental safety, construction safety, and professional training. As we discuss in the book, the owners and the construction industry do not always understand all the rules of sampling, and because of that, you can get wildly different proposals for asbestos surveys. This can cause significant problems once the contracts are awarded. The book, along with the rest of the materials, is meant to clarify the asbestos inspection/survey process.
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| Timeline: 25-Year History of the WTC Health Program |
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The WTC Health Program grew from years of advocacy by responders, survivors, healthcare professionals, and community organizations following widespread exposure to toxic dust and debris.
Key milestones:
- 2001–2002: Health concerns emerged; NYC and federal agencies began funding screening, treatment, and the WTC Health Registry.
- 2004–2008: Federal funding expanded medical monitoring and treatment for responders and survivors.
- 2011: The WTC Health Program officially launched under the Zadroga Act.
- 2015: Congress extended the program through 2090.
- 2022–2026: Research, eligibility, and funding provisions continued to expand to meet evolving needs.
“There’s no other program like this, where workers or responders or anybody that lives in this area, where they can get help so specific to this problem, to 9/11.”
Lainie, WTC Health Program member
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| 9/11 Health Program: The Long Tail of Exposure |
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The WTC Health Program’s latest quarterly data show that the health consequences of 9/11 remain substantial 25 years later. More than 67% of currently enrolled members are certified with at least one WTC-related condition, underscoring the continuing medical burden among exposed populations. Cancer is the most frequently certified condition, with 57,044 lifetime certifications, followed by chronic rhinosinusitis, GERD, asthma, and PTSD.
The program certified 14,711 new conditions in the past 12 months alone, including more than 10,000 cancer certifications. Medical and pharmacy utilization also remains significant, with $354.6 million in approved medical claims over the past year. The data make one point clear: 9/11 exposure remains an active, long-term public health issue rather than a historical event.
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| 🎙️ Tune In to After the Refresher!🎙️ |
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Join Angelo Garcia III of Future Environment Designs as he takes you beyond the classroom to unpack the latest in asbestos, mold, indoor air quality, and OSHA compliance. From New York project phases and EPA bans to the ARBAN bill and new contamination guidance, this podcast keeps you ahead of the curve on regulations, safety, and industry trends.
Listen to our latest episode: After the Refresher Episode 9 –
Asbestos Call to Action! Public comment periods are ending soon
🔥 Stay informed. Stay compliant. Stay refreshed.
👉 Subscribe now to After the Refresher on YouTube and never miss an episode!
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Use SafetySuzy10FEDTC at checkout to get 10% off of any of our health and safety courses. Don’t forget that our loyal customers get 15% off, so please get in touch if you’d like to find out more.
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| Important Links |
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Upcoming FEDTC Courses (virtual, in-person, online).
FED Creates Asbestos Air Sampling Tables That Can be Used In the Field or the Office
Order Here!
ELEVATE YOUR SAFETY PROGRAMS with SiteDocs and Future Environment Designs. Contact SiteDocs here.
“Do As I Say, Not As I Did! What I’ve Learned After 30-Years of Being in Business” – book by Angelo Garcia III
Order Here!
FEDTC Training Library:
Click Here to access our Library. New in the Training Library NYSDOL Email regarding “Concrete Debris Pile in Controlled Demolition with Friable ACM“
Additional Resources
FEDTC’s Recent Blog Post:
Recent Discussion:
September 16, 2026 Special NYSDOL Presentation & Industry Meeting:
PACNY invites you to participate in a special meeting featuring representatives from the New York State Department of Labor Asbestos Control Bureau. Speaking to our group will be Jason Pensabene, Program Manager, along with a representative from the Engineering Services Unit.
Join the conversation and become a member of a thriving group of health and safety professionals.
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EPA Lead RRP Courses:
OSHA Courses (Online & In-person):
- AHERA/OSHA Asbestos Awareness
- OSHA/NYSDOL 4-hr Apprentice Asbestos Awareness (NEW) – Online
- The Role of Asbestos Inspections in Construction Safety Course – 0.5 Hr – NEW!
- OSHA Respirator User
- OSHA Crystalline Silica Standard for Workers
- OSHA Hazard Communication
- OSHA Hazard Communication plus NYS Right-to-Know
- Covid-19 Awareness Course
- Respirator Hierarchy
- Lead in Construction Awareness Course
- Mold in Construction Awareness Course
- Blood-borne Pathogen 4-Hour Course
- OSHA Lead in Construction Awareness Course – Online
- OSHA 10 or 30-Hour Construction Safety and Health Course
- OSHA 10 or 30-Hour General Industry Safety and Health Course
Mold Courses:
- Keeping Your Family Safe Mold Awareness – Online
- Mold in Construction Awareness Course – Online
- Mold Assessor Initial Course
- Sep 25 – Oct 7, 8:30 AM – 5:45 PM, FEDTC’s Syosset
- Mold Remediation/Supervisor Initial Course
- Sep 25 – Oct 5, 8:30 AM – 5:45 PM, FEDTC’s Syosset
- NYS Mold Abatement Worker Initial Course
- Sep 25-28, 8:30 AM – 5:45 PM, FEDTC’s Syosset
- NYS Mold Refresher
- Oct 2, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Virtual
Asbestos Courses:
- AHERA/OSHA Asbestos Awareness Course – Online
- OSHA/NYSDOL 4-hr Apprentice Asbestos Awareness (NEW) – Online
- NYCDEP Handler/Supervisor Exam Prep – Online
- NYCDEP Investigator Exam Prep – Online
- AHERA LEA’s Designated Person Training – Online
- Asbestos Bulk Sampling Course – Online
- NYS Asbestos Inspector Initial
- NYS Asbestos Management Planner Initial
- NYS Asbestos O&M Initial
- Sep 29-30, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Suffolk County
- NYS/NYC Asbestos Supervisor Refresher
- Oct 19, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, FEDTC’
- Oct 14, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, CVPH
- Dec, 17, 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM, National Grid
- NYS Asbestos Project Designer Initial
- Sep 22-24, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, FEDTC
- Asbestos Handler Refresher
- Sep 26, 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM, IUOE
- Oct 6, 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM, National Grid
- Oct 13, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, CVPH
- Dec 19, 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM, IUOE
- NYS Asbestos Project Designer Refresher
- Sep 18, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Virtual
- Sep 21, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, FEDTC’s Syosset
- NYS/NYC Asbestos Inspector Refresher
- Sep 14, Oct 1, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Virtual
- Sep 15, Oct 22, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM, FEDTC’s Syosset
- NYS Asbestos Project Monitor Initial
- Nov 12-18, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, FEDTC
- NYS Asbestos Project Monitor Refresher
- Sep 17, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Virtual
- NYS Asbestos Project Sampling Technician Refresher
- Sep 17, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Virtual
- NYS Asbestos Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Refresher
- Oct 6, 7:30 AM – 11:30 AM, National Grid
- Oct 13, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, CVPH
- Dec 19, 7:00 – 11:00 AM, IUOE
- NYS Asbestos Management Planner Refresher
- Sep 14, Oct 1, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Virtua
- Sep 15, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, FEDTC
For the most current schedule and additional courses, please visit Future Environment Designs’ website. Please click on the individual courses’ link to discover more dates!
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Don’t Forget Our Referral Program!
If you refer asbestos, indoor air quality, or OSHA training to us we will provide you with a 5% discount on any training you book with us. This would be in addition to any other discounts we provide.
Thank you to those who have taken advantage of this!
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