NEW YORK (TNND) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday the release of more than 170,000 pages of post-9/11 air-quality records, saying the documents show officials knew about toxic conditions around Ground Zero even as the public was told the air was safe to breathe.
The records include air-quality reports, contamination data and correspondence among city officials. Mamdani said asbestos was found “nearly everywhere” inspectors tested near Ground Zero.
“They show what the city knew about the toxic air around Ground Zero, when they knew it, and how they acted to limit liability,” Mamdani said.
“People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,” he added.
The initial release includes the long-sought Harding Memo, the “68 boxes” of records city officials said were not located until 2025 despite previous public-records requests, and documents related to World Trade Center 7.
Jon Stewart, a longtime advocate for 9/11 first responders and survivors, accused the city of trying to shield itself from legal responsibility shortly after the attacks, pointing to the Harding Memo.
“These people had to fight sick and dying for years,” Stewart said, referring to survivors and victims’ families at the news conference. “Everyone knew. And now it’s very clear that the city knew as well.”
The records were made public as part of a settlement ending two lawsuits filed by 9/11 Health Watch, following years of demands from first responders, survivors and families for greater transparency about the health consequences of the attacks.
Officials said they will continue reviewing and posting records over the next year after redacting personal information. The administration also plans to assign staff to help New Yorkers prove they were in the Exposure Zone, potentially allowing them to seek care through the World Trade Center Health Program or compensation through the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund.