Zohran Mamdani says New York covered up toxic air after 9/11

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has accused the city administration of hiding the true scale of asbestos and other toxic air pollution after the September 11 attacks, saying officials told residents it was safe to breathe.

Mamdani announced on Tuesday that the city would release tens of thousands of documents that he said could show how the pollution was handled. In total, 173,000 pages are expected to be published online over the next 12 months. The release follows a lawsuit by the nonprofit Health Watch seeking access to the records.

“Many people became ill because those responsible lied to them and told them it was safe to breathe the toxic air,” Mamdani said. He also alleged that the city’s concealment effort was intended to limit its own legal liability.

Mamdani and Health Watch did not name specific officials. The documents could nevertheless create pressure for former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was in office during the attacks, and his successor, Michael Bloomberg.

According to U.S. health authorities, more than 9,400 people have died from cancer and other illnesses caused by dust and smoke released when the World Trade Center collapsed. That figure is more than three times the 2,977 people killed in the attacks themselves, when al-Qaida militants hijacked four passenger planes and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center.

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Many people became ill because those responsible lied to them and told them it was safe to breathe the toxic air.