MERCURY RISING IN GROUND ZERO

January 5, 2002

NY Post 1/5/2002

MERCURY RISING

IN GROUND ZERO

By BRIDGET HARRISON

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January 5, 2002 -- Unions have upped their demands for legislation to protect

ground zero workers after four Port Authority cops were found to have higher

than normal levels of mercury in their blood.

Although the levels are not life-threatening, and health officials do not

know what caused them, unions say the results highlight the need to legally

force pension companies to cover ground zero workers if they fall ill in the

future as a result of exposure to unknown dangers at the site.

" We need to protect our workers from risks that no one can predict at this

time, " said McAusland, attorney for the PA union, the Patrolmen's

Benevolent Association.

" I'm not sure that anyone can appropriately guard these people from what is

down in that site. "

The four PA cops - all in good health - have been assigned jobs away from

ground zero as a precautionary measure.

The normal range for mercury is 0 to 13 micrograms per liter of blood. Two of

the four officers tested at 14, one at 18 and one at 24, PA medical officers

said.

The men are not overly concerned about the test results, and have been

advised by their own doctors to continue to monitor their health, said

McAusland.

" All four are keen to return to ground zero as soon as possible to keep up

the search for their lost colleagues, " he added.

Unions are hoping the protective legislation - being pushed by the New York

State Public Employee Conference, an umbrella organization of unions

representing public workers - will be proposed in the upcoming Legislature.

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