More Fall-Out From 9/11----How Many Will Fall Victim to Long Term After-Effects??
Posted: Thursday, November 12, 2009
by Sandra E. Graham
My Books and Articles
Our country may not only be mourning the lost on that fateful day and the weeks following, but may also have a new reason to mourn. It seems that the toxic chemicals breathed in by so many involved in the rescue operations, may now be causing some very serious health problems---including the big "C". Five firefighters and police officers, all of whom were involved in the rescue and clean-up operations at the site of the collapsed Twin Towers, have died of cancer in the past three months, the oldest being 44. The fact that three died just last month within a four-day period, brings the point more frighteningly clear. These men and women worked so hard to help save so many, and survived the dangers of the moment, only to find years later that they, too, have paid the ultimate price.
Photograph: Graham Morrison/AP
Some 70,000 people worked on the tremendous task at Ground Zero, including police, firefighters, and other groups coming to New York from all over the U.S. And many worked for weeks and weeks amid a toxic potporri of dust and chemicals. Some of the pollutants in this great heap of debris which was once the twin towers of the World Trade Center and in the air itself were 90,000 litres of jet fuel from the two planes used to topple the towers, approximately 1,000 tons of asbestos from the buildings themselves, demolished lead from computers, mercury and the highly carcinogenic fumes from the burning of plastics and chlorinated checmicals.
So far, there is no official estimate for the number of those who have died as a result of the 9/11 clean-up. Although, 817 deaths of emergency workers have been recorded, the New York health department has not confirmed categorically just how many may have been directly linked to the work site.
Since Federal funds for the ill emergency workers ran out in 2003, the brunt of the burden has since fallen on the already cash-strapped New York City. The city is facing up to 10,000 claims for compensation through its courts. Now the families who have died feel that it is only right that the entire nation should help in shouldering the burden as well. And I agree; they have a very good argument.
The 9/11 Police Aid Foundation founded by police officers say it is helping more than 100 officers who worked at the site and who now have cancer. The group reports receiving new cases at a rate of at least one per week---many of which are extremely rare at such young ages.
It seems the struggle to put behind us the horrors of that single September day will be much harder than we ever expected. Let us keep all these brave individuals in our hearts and in our prayers. And push our Congressmen to pass this bill to give these people the Federal help they so desparately need.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Wow. Just...wow. It's sort of strange that I'm the first comment on this. I think the implications are just so shocking that it's hard to say anything at all.I really and truly think that the president should have the authority to single-handedly pass bills to help citizens in these cases. Any claims by corporations should be initially accepted, but reviewed, since corporations can be helpful in times of crisis, but can also be greedy.Then again, I'm of the opinion that we're a bunch of barbarians for not having free health care available to everyone.
Excellent writing on the article, though, and great, if scary and tragic, information.Thanks for reading and commenting, Anthony---my sentiments exactly!!Sandra
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