NYC releases 9/11 records on air quality risks

New York City has released more than 170,000 pages of previously undisclosed documents detailing the city's understanding of air quality and health risks in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The trove of records, made public on Tuesday, suggests that city officials were aware of dangerous contaminants in the air and dust around Ground Zero within weeks of the World Trade Center's collapse but publicly reassured residents and first responders that the air was safe to breathe. The release, timed just days before the 25th anniversary of the attacks, is the result of a settlement with the advocacy group 9/11 Health Watch, which had sued to compel the city to disclose the records. Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that the documents are intended to provide accountability and transparency for New Yorkers who have long sought answers about the government's response to the attacks and their health consequences.