NYC releases 9/11 records showing officials misled New Yorkers about air quality around Ground Zero
The release follows years of legal pressure and shows officials privately documented asbestos and other contamination while telling residents the air was safe.
- On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration released more than 170,000 pages of records related to the September 11, 2001, attacks, providing transparency regarding health risks following years of Freedom of Information Law requests.
- Comedian Jon Stewart and U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler led years of advocacy to access these documents, which suggest authorities predicted health consequences for responders despite public assurances that the air was safe.
- Internal correspondence and data in the records reveal asbestos was detected at nearly every location tested after the World Trade Center collapse, including the frequently cited Harding Memo and material from 68 boxes located in 2025.
- Criticizing the city's past response, Mamdani alleged leaders lied about toxic air, while Stewart claimed officials "covered it up to get back to business as usual." The city now helps survivors retrieve records for compensation programs.
- Officials expect to add more documents over the next 12 months following review and removal of personally identifiable information, while a separate Department of Investigation inquiry seeks to answer remaining questions about what officials knew.
341 Articles
341 Articles
170,000 Pages of 9/11 Records Show Officials Flagged Toxic Air Risks as Public Was Reassured
New York City has launched a 9/11 records portal, releasing 170,000 pages of documents detailing hazardous conditions and official responses around Ground Zero, aiding survivors and researchers in understanding health risks
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday that tens of thousands of documents have been released showing that the city did not disclose everything it knew about air toxicity after the September 11 attacks.
NEW YORK CITY has released secret documents revealing that officials knew about dangerous air quality after the September 11 attacks, even though they assured the public otherwise. More people died as a result.
The Air Wasn't Safe: NYC Finally Releases Nearly 200,000 Secret 9/11 Health Records
The Air Wasn’t Safe The truth has finally emerged after twenty-five agonizing years. New York City released nearly 200,000 pages of post-9/11 environmental and health records. The massive archive details the toxic plume that choked Lower Manhattan in 2001. Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched the public online portal on Tuesday morning. He was joined by advocates, first responders, and comedian Jon Stewart. The announcement officially ends a multiyear …
New York hid warnings on ‘toxic air’ after 9/11, Mamdani says as thousands of documents surface
NEW YORK, Sept 9 — New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced yesterday the release of tens of thousands of documents showing the city did not disclose all it knew about air...
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