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Daily Environmental Monitoring Summary

Friday-Monday, March 29-April 1, 2002

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal, state and local agencies have collected extensive environmental monitoring data from the World Trade Center site and nearby areas in Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey. Since September 11, EPA has taken samples of the air, dust, water, river sediments and drinking water and analyzed them for the presence of pollutants that might pose a health risk to response workers at the World Trade Center site and the public. The samples are evaluated against a variety of benchmarks, standards and guidelines established to protect public health under various conditions. EPA is collecting data from more than 20 fixed air monitors in and around ground zero and additional monitors in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. The Agency is also using portable sampling equipment to collect data from a range of locations.

Results as of 4:30 p.m. on 4/1

Lower Manhattan:

Air Sampling for Asbestos - EPA sampled for asbestos at two lower Manhattan locations on March 15. All samples showed results less than 70 structures per square millimeter, which is the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) standard for allowing children to re-enter school buildings after asbestos removal activities.

This brings the total number of air samples collected and analyzed for asbestos in lower Manhattan to 7,253, with 18 samples above the standard (11 of these were collected prior to September 30; the other seven were collected on October 9, November 27, December 27, January 14, February 5, February 11 and March 9).

Dust Sampling for Asbestos - A total of 8 samples were collected from beams, metal debris and pipe insulation at both the North and South Tower excavation areas, and from an ongoing asbestos abatement area within ground zero on March 26. Two of the samples showed asbestos levels at greater than 1%.

Staten Island Landfill:

Air Sampling for Asbestos - A total of 68 samples were collected on March 17, 19, 22 and 23. Samples taken on March 23 at a Wash Tent (Location W-12A) and at the eastern perimeter of the landfill (Location P-2), showed 125.98 and 170.6 structures per square millimeter, respectively, both of which exceed the AHERA school re-entry standard. All other samples were below the school re-entry standard.

Dust Sampling for Asbestos - A total of 6 samples were collected from the landfill sift and barge unloading areas on March 19. Asbestos in all samples was either not detected, or was less than 1%.

Elsewhere in New York City:

Air Sampling for Asbestos - Samples were collected on March 15 at Intermediate School 143 (511 W. 182nd St., Manhattan), Public School 154 (333 East 135th St., Bronx), P.S. 274 (800 Bushwick Ave, Brooklyn), P.S. 199 (3290 48th St., Queens), and P.S. 44 (80 Maple Parkway, Staten Island). None showed exceedances of the AHERA re-entry standard.

Latest Available Daily Environmental Monitoring Summary

EPA information about the events of September 11

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