9-11 Responders Suffering from Respiratory Illness

A new study shows that a vast majority of the rescue workers at the World Trade Center site after 9-11 suffer from respiratory illnesses. According to the study, about 70 percent of those who responded suffered new or worsened respiratory problems during or after their work and some 61 percent developed symptoms while working at the World Trade Center site.

After the terrorist attack, the EPA issued statements that were edited by the White House stating that the air quality was safe. This is further evidence that the White House put workers at risk to quickly clean up the site and reduce clean-up costs. These workers lives will likely be affected and possibly shortened due to the lack of personal protective equipment while on the job. Air testing and sampling should have been performed prior to putting workers at risk. Respiratory illnesses can be slow painful killers. It is truly a tragedy that the ineptitude of our government will likely add uncounted numbers to the death toll from 9-11.