WTC Panel Discussion May 22

May 20, 2002

Announcing a Panel Discussion

Wednesday, May 22 7:30 pm

at the Brecht Forum, 122 West 27th St., 10th floor, Manhattan

$6/$8/$10 (sliding scale -- no one turned away)

TOXIC FALLOUT FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER CATASTROPHE

Co-sponsored by " Capitalism, Nature, Socialism "

When the World Trade Center towers fell, dangerous toxins were released

into the atmosphere, and the remaining dust contains carcinogens,

including asbestos. The enivironmental aftermath has raised serious

questions about who will be helped and who will be hurt as Downtown NYC

is cleaned up and rebuilt. The reluctance of the EPA to reveal its

findings on air quality has created an occupational health crisis: day

laborers at Ground Zero have neither the information nor the equipment

to protect themselves. Other area workers, as well as residents cleaning

up their apartments, face similar dangers. On the other hand, President

Bush and V.P. Cheney have been busy trying to protect corporations from

asbestos-related lawsuits. The stocks of some of these companies rose on

rumors that Bush would move on this issue (including Halliburton,

Cheney's last employer). Who will benefit from new construction on the

site, will it harm the environment, and will it meet job safety standards?

PAUL BARTLETT works at the Center for Biology of Natural Systems. He has

worked with NYC and NYS on industrial development and the environment,

and has been involved in monitoring the medical effects of the

environment on workers at Ground Zero.

JONATHAN BENNETT is Public Affairs Director of NYCOSH, New York

Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. NYCOSH has researched and

published information about the air quality at Ground Zero, and fought

for worker protection.

JOEL KUPFERMAN is the Environmental Justice Chair of the National

Lawyers Guild - NYC Chapter, and the executive director of the NY

Environmental Law Project. He fought the EPA, NY State and NYC to obtain

the release of withheld information on WTC toxins, and is fighting for

creation of a Superfund-type designation for the area.

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