New York City has made public over 170,000 pages of previously withheld records regarding air quality in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. The release reveals that city officials were aware at the time that conditions surrounding Ground Zero were hazardous, even as they repeatedly assured the public that the air was safe to breathe.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the disclosure during a press conference on Tuesday, noting that the documents were recovered from 68 boxes discovered in a city office last year. The release comes just days before the 25th anniversary of the tragedy. “As the years pass and the human toll grows, we reckon with the cost of September 11th whenever another New Yorker is stolen from us too soon,” Mamdani stated. “Now, close to 25 years later, more people have died from 9/11-related illnesses than were killed on the day itself.”
Among the records is the “Harding Memo,” an internal document addressed to then-Deputy Mayor Robert Harding. It highlighted that officials anticipated thousands of potential lawsuits stemming from air exposure and the lack of adequate safety equipment for workers. The memo further detailed legislative strategies intended to minimize the city’s legal liability. “People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,” Mamdani added.
Joining the Mayor at the announcement were families of 9/11 victims and comedian Jon Stewart, a prominent advocate for the health and transparency needs of first responders. Reflecting on the findings, Stewart remarked, “There was poison in the air, and on the ground, and in the window sills, and in your air conditioners and covering your pets and your clothes, and it stayed there for months. Everyone knew. Now it’s very clear that the city knew as well.”
The city has launched a searchable online portal to provide free access to these documents, with plans to upload additional material on a rolling basis in the coming months. This transparency effort follows years of pressure from survivors and first responders, as well as a lawsuit filed by the advocacy group 9/11 Health Watch, which sought the release of the records.
While the initial death toll on 9/11 reached nearly 3,000 people, thousands more have since succumbed to cancers and other illnesses linked to the toxic environment at the site. Officials hope the disclosure will provide a clearer picture of the city’s response during the effort to stabilize Lower Manhattan and reopen the area following the collapse of the World Trade Center. The report also notes that but they also include crucial internal memos, including what became known as the “Harding Memo” sent to then-Deputy Mayor Robert Harding, which revealed city officials anticipated thousands of possible lawsuits due to the 9/11 air exposure and the lack of proper safety equipment, the documents contain a fraction of the air quality reports taken at Ground Zero. The report also notes that has reached out to the group for comment.
