New York — June 3, 2026 — New York City Council leaders are pressing for $4.5 million in budget funding to complete a long-overdue report on toxins at Ground Zero following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The move comes ahead of a council Oversight and Investigations Executive Budget hearing, where officials are demanding the release of all documents related to post-9/11 air quality.
Council Speaker Julie Menin and Councilwoman Gale Brewer, joined by advocates and labor leaders, have called for transparency after an internal memo revealed city officials anticipated health-related lawsuits in the weeks following the attacks. “Thousands of families, including my own, are still waiting for answers about what the city knew about the environmental toxins that sickened or killed our loved ones,” Menin said.
The Department of Investigation (DOI) has stated it cannot begin the mandated study until funding is secured. The report, due by July 2027, is expected to determine when city officials first learned of the dangers posed by toxic air at Ground Zero.
Last year, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection discovered 68 boxes of documents during a remodeling project, shedding new light on what survivors and first responders may have been exposed to. Advocates, including attorney Andrew Carboy and 9/11 Health Watch, have demanded disclosure of records, questioning why officials reassured the public about air safety while seeking liability protection.
The council argues that early analysis of the toxins could lead to medical breakthroughs for those still suffering from 9/11-related illnesses. Brewer emphasized that further delays are “unconscionable,” given the scale of health impacts.
If approved, the funding would mark a significant step toward accountability and transparency, ensuring families and survivors finally gain access to answers about the city’s response to one of the most devastating events in U.S. history.
