New York City has released roughly 170,000 pages of records on air quality after the Sept. 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks, publishing them through a new September 11th Public Records Portal launched Sept. 8 by Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration, resolving two lawsuits brought by 911 Health Watch. Mamdani said at a press conference, joined by Rep. Jerry Nadler and Jon Stewart, that city leaders "lied" about how safe it was to breathe, and that more people have since died from 9/11-related illnesses than were killed in the attacks themselves. His fiscal 2027 budget includes $34 million to maintain the portal.
The records include the "Harding Memo," an October 2001 internal document warning city officials of potential legal liability from toxic exposure. The city also committed to searching for records shared with federal lobbyists seeking liability caps after 9/11. More than 400,000 people were exposed to toxic substances, with roughly 140,000 enrolled in the WTC Health Program and 49,000 diagnosed with certified cancers. Prior mayors Giuliani, Bloomberg, de Blasio, and Adams had withheld the documents despite public safety assurances.
