W000326
Monday, November 12, 2001 7:05 AM
We Are Victims, Too
My understanding is that victims of the September 11th tragedy are defined as
families of those who perished as well as individuals who are now unemployed
(or whose businesses sustained prolonged closures) as a result of the
attacks. Without a doubt these people have suffered the most, and will
continue to suffer for a significant period of time.
However, there is a population of individuals who I do not believe qualify
under the accepted definition of victims ... but these are people whose lives
have been turned upside down since September 11th. These "non-victims" live
in the immediate vicinity of Ground Zero. I speak from personal experience.
I live at . The complex is directly across the street from "the site" (or the
sight) of the collapsed towers. While my apartment sustained no physical
damage, it is nevertheless contaminated with dust. I was lucky. My apartment
faces south along the water's edge. Many of Gateway's residents in the
buildings facing the towers found that their apartments caught on fire when
flaming debris was jettisoned across the street from the World Trade Center.
Others have had to sift through the dust and debris land landed in the
apartments when their windows blew in from the force of the collapses.
For a variety of reasons, everyone in the neighborhood was prohibited from
reoccupying their apartments for a period of time. FBI and police designated
the area a crime scene. Emergency and rescue workers commandeered buildings
and streets. For a time, the area belonged to the authorities ... and rightly
so.
In the past month or so, many buildings have been readied for reoccupation,
but many in the neighborhood cannot yet return because particulate matter in
the air (emanating from the still-buring fires) causes respiratory distress,
nosebleeds, asthma, headaches, etc. While we have been assured by the EPA
that the air poses no long-term health risks, residents are suffering from
symptoms that make the area a short-term health nightmare.
While some downtown residents were smart enough to purchase homeowners or
renters insurance, many, many were uninsured. I am uninsured. Every uninsured
person has had significant out-of-pocket expenses: temporary housing, HazMat
decontamination, the cost of HEPA air filters (recommended by the Department
of Health, OSHA and the EPA), extraordinary meal charges, dry cleaning, etc.,
etc. A subset of the population have incurred (or will incur) additional
expenditures: moving and storage costs, medical (and psychological) bills,
charges to replace damaged property and the like. I will be incurring moving
and storage expenses, as I feel forced to move out of BPC, due to the
uninhabitable nature of the air environment and the unknown dangers that
exist from being exposed to that air.
Although there are serious financial considerations for downtown residents,
the emotional toll is hard to quantify. Many have been so traumatized that
their professional performance and personal relationships have suffered.
Our once tranquil neighborhood has suffered too. Transportation options are
significantly reduced (and will be for years to come). Goods and services are
greatly diminished (many stores have permanently abandoned the area because
they relied heavily on the patronage of those who worked and visited the
World Trade Center complex). Air quality is compromised (we've been told that
our children should not exert themselves when playing outdoors.)
Many have chosen to move to other parts of the City, or out of the city, as I
have. Others have chosen to stay and rebuild the neighborhood putting
themselves at great short, and long term risk to their health. All have
suffered.
We are victims too. Please help us.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
New York, NY