New Yorkers were 'lied' to about toxic air after 9/11 attacks, says Mamdani - BBC

Newly released files show toxic air quality was recorded in Manhattan soon after the 9/11 attacks, even as officials publicly downplayed health risks, according to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Asbestos was found "nearly everywhere" tested near Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center towers collapsed in 2001, with Mamdani announcing the release of 170,000 related documents.
Illnesses linked to dust and smoke from the collapse have claimed more lives than the nearly 3,000 killed in the attacks themselves, US health officials say, with survivors developing cancer and other conditions.
Speaking alongside Mamdani, TV host and survivor advocate Jon Stewart said the files show the city knew by October 2001 that the air was toxic, accusing officials of burying the information for 25 years.
The "Harding Memo" warned former Deputy Mayor Robert Harding the city could face up to 35,000 legal claims, noting health advisories caused people to return to the area too soon, risking toxic exposure or emotional harm.
Officials advised residents to clean dust with "wet mops and rags" despite asbestos being present, which is meant to be handled only by licensed professionals, while the EPA and city leaders had declared the air safe days after the attack; EPA head Christine Todd Whitman later apologized.