As the ninth anniversary of the attacks on America approaches, people throughout our country are feeling sad, or angry, and are taking time to reflect on how our nation has changed since that day. There are obvious changes, like the war against terror that America became involved in not long after 9/11, or the empty space in Manhattan amidst tall skyscrapers where three structural landmarks once stood like beacons.
But it’s the less-obvious impacts of 9/11 that I want to call to your attention today. Like the first five Ground Zero workers and first responders to pass away in 2009 following illnesses attributed to toxic exposures. Like the longterm health worries that other workers and New Yorker’s who lived and worked nearby have to deal with because close to 2 million tons of debris released an immeasurable amount of toxins, including asbestos and benzene, into the air surrounding Ground Zero for days, weeks, and months after the attack. Like the fact that the House shot down a bill that would have allocated billions of dollars to those who are suffering due the dust that hung over Manhattan nine years ago.
