By Stephen Lester.
Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the horrific attacks on the United States that resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths and 6,000 injuries when al-Qaida hijackers crashed four jetliners into the twin towers in New York City, the Pentagon and a field in southwest Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001.
The legacy of the events from that day continues for the first responders, volunteers and nearby residents in New York City who were exposed to the toxic cloud that resulted when the two World Trade Center buildings collapsed. These people were exposed to a mixture of particulate matter and chemical agents, some of which are known human carcinogens or linked to various respiratory illnesses.
To help survivors and first responders involved in the attack, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) was established by the U.S. Department of Justice on Sept. 22, 2001 to provide compensation for individuals who suffered physical injuries or took part in the cleanup efforts in the aftermath of the attacks. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 would later reactivate the VCF and lead to the creation of the CDC’s World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) to provide additional medical benefits to victims.
The WTCHP offers medical screening, monitoring, and treatment to 9/11 first responders and survivors with presumptive WTC-related health conditions. The program also covers medically associated conditions that resulted from treatment or progression of WTC-related health conditions. To establish these associated illnesses, the WTCHP’s established a Scientific/ Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) of medical and environmental health specialists who conduct extensive scientific literature reviews to identify health conditions that may be related to the particulates and chemicals present in the toxic cloud. This committee also makes recommendations regarding additions to the program’s eligibility criteria and WTC-Related Health Conditions List. This fund is not only for those who were first responders, but to also for nearby residents and others who were impacted by chemicals in the toxic cloud.
The main criteria for people to receive assistance through the Victim Compensation Fund are:
- Proof certified by a program-affiliated physician of 9/11-related physical injury or condition listed as WTCHP’s eligible presumptive illnesses. Certification indicates that an applicant’s condition is among one of the WTCHP’s presumptive conditions and their exposure to the 9/11 attacks likely caused, aggravated or contributed to that condition.
- Proof of presence at one of the attack sites or along debris removal routes during Sept. 11, 2001 through May 30, 2002.
- Proof that they belong to an eligible group (first responders and/or survivors).
Importantly, people do not have to show proof that their presence at an attack site or debris removal site caused their illness or injury in order to receive assistance.
The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) has been extended to 2090 and plans to continue to secure funding. Officials at the Department of Justice, which runs the program warned in Time magazine in 2019 “that people exposed to the toxins released during the Sept, 11th attacks and their aftermath may not even be experiencing the full health effects yet. For instance, the world Trade Center was known to contain asbestos which causes mesothelioma, a deadly disease that can take decades to appear.” This stark observation has been borne out by researchers at the Mount Sinai World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine who reported
a 219% increased risk of thyroid cancer, a 41% higher risk of leukemia and a 25% increased risk of prostate cancer for workers involved in the response and cleanup. This study covered 12 years post exposure. Long-term effects are likely to continue well into the future.
To date, the more than $12.9 billion in financial compensation was been given out through these programs. If you know anyone who was in New York on that day who feels they were exposed to the toxic cloud that engulfed lower Manhattan when the buildings collapsed, ask them to reach out to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). There’s may be an opportunity to be evaluated by medical experts familiar with chemical exposures.