On Sept. 11, 2001 and the days that followed, hundreds of men and women volunteered to work amongst the rubble at Ground Zero and help with cleanup efforts. From police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel to asbestos workers, restaurant workers and volunteers, asbestos exposure was rampant.
Despite the safety gear used by crews during the 9/11 cleanup, asbestos workers were exposed to numerous toxins at the site and many have since developed health problems. The asbestos-removal crews who worked at Ground Zero are also at increased risk of asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and other cancers.
There is a long latency period associated with mesothelioma – anywhere from 20 to 30 years. By the time many 9/11 asbestos crews are diagnosed with the disease, the federally funded WTC health program will run out of money.
The reactivated September 11 Victim Compensation Fund helps cover the economic losses and medical expenses of cleanup crews, volunteers and survivors of 9/11. However, the fund must pay out its $2.8 billion by 2017. Following this date, it is uncertain whether Congress will choose to renew funding for the program.
Looking closer at the latency period of mesothelioma, 20 years from Sept. 11, 2011 will be the year 2021. By this time, workers and cleanup crew members who are diagnosed with the fatal disease will not be able to receive compensation from the WTC health program.
“We are the most forgotten ones, those who worked and cleaned there,” said Stalin Barcco Wong in a Newsday article. Wong, 50, worked at Ground Zero as an asbestos worker. “We have to be taken care of, maybe even like the police and firefighters, because we were working and exposed to the contamination just like those who were out to bring order or help people.”
Even though the dangers of asbestos were well-known when the towers collapsed, cleanup efforts were chaotic and many factors led to unfortunate safety shortcuts. Asbestos workers at the scene initially used asbestos masks, but the masks quickly became clogged. In addition, many of the workers spent years working at Ground Zero, much longer than the time other relief workers spent. Some employers of asbestos professionals cut costs by hiring workers who weren’t properly trained or licensed. Another problem was language barriers, since many of the asbestos workers were immigrants with limited English language skills.
Among the 2,332 known asbestos workers at Ground Zero during cleanup, it was found that hundreds of workers weren’t properly equipped with asbestos safety gear. Approximately 20 percent of the workers either didn’t have respirators or couldn’t wear them in the first few days after the attacks, said Dr. Michael Crane, medical director of the WTC health program at Mount Sinai, in the article.
Many asbestos workers who helped with 9/11 cleanup efforts are now dealing with respiratory problems such as asthma and trouble breathing. These men and women now have an increased risk of serious, life-threatening cancers such as mesothelioma, which can incur massive medical debts. Compensation from mesothelioma litigation can help if the individual is eligible to file an asbestos lawsuit. However, the concern still exists – if health coverage from the WTC fund runs out, asbestos workers diagnosed with mesothelioma will be, in a sense, forgotten.
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