New York City has released tens of thousands of documents that reveal city officials possessed knowledge of dangerous air quality conditions at Ground Zero following the September 11th attacks, even as they publicly assured New Yorkers the air was safe to breathe.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani made the disclosure Tuesday, releasing the first 170,000 pages of records through an online portal. The documents span multiple administrations, dating back to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s tenure, which ended in 2001.
“People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,” Mamdani stated at a City Hall press conference attended by 9/11 responders and advocates.
For nearly twenty-four years, Ground Zero workers, advocates, and elected officials have sought these records. The release comes as part of a settlement of two lawsuits filed by the advocacy group 9/11 Health Watch, which had pressed the city to make the documents public.
Among the most significant revelations is what has become known as the “Harding Memo.” Written in October 2001 by then-Deputy Mayor Robert Harding, this internal communication indicated city officials understood both the air quality dangers and the potential legal liability they faced, despite public statements declaring the air safe. Victims’ advocates had sought this particular document for decades.
Additional records show asbestos was found on the facade ledge of 15 John Street, located away from Ground Zero, as late as July 2002, months after the attacks occurred.
The path to this disclosure has been lengthy and fraught with obstacles. Advocacy groups filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests over the years. According to city officials, sixty-eight boxes of these records were discovered in a city office only last year.
Jon Stewart, the former host of “The Daily Show” who has championed health benefits for 9/11 first responders, attended the press conference. He noted that many victims had to fight for access to these documents while battling serious illnesses.
“I’m not saying the information may have changed the outcomes, unfortunately, for their families, but I guarantee you it would not have been the struggle that it was to get people to recognize what they all knew, that there was poison in the air,” Stewart said.
The health consequences have been severe and ongoing. According to 9/11 Health Watch, nearly 6,000 people have died from 9/11-related illnesses since the attacks, and many more continue to suffer from chronic conditions linked to their exposure at Ground Zero.
The release of these documents represents a significant moment of accountability, though it comes far too late for thousands who rushed to help in the aftermath of the attacks and paid with their health. The records provide concrete evidence of what many have long suspected: that officials prioritized appearances over the safety of those who risked everything on that day and in the days that followed.
The city has indicated that additional documents will continue to be released through the online portal, suggesting that the full scope of what officials knew may still be coming to light.
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