November 30, 2007

Dear Families and Friends,

Our staff attended the World Trade Center Registry Public Meeting on Wednesday at Pace University in New York City.  The conference provided an update on efforts to monitor the health of rescue workers, survivors and residents living and working in the vicinity of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. 

It’s apparent that more than 6 years later, there continues to be unresolved issues for underserved populations, such as the Spanish speaking, Chinese-Americans and those without insurance suffering from mental health and medical problems.  As I listened to the heartbreaking stories of those suffering from health related issues, I experienced déjà vu.  Ironically I remember sitting in the same auditorium many years ago, advocating for a memorial along with other 9/11 families. 

Much as we did, several of the advocates spoke passionately on behalf of others who shared their same struggles. As I reflect on our accomplishments since 9/11, I would encourage them to persevere.  For as Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” 

In closing, I want to remind those enrolled with the WTC Health Registry that you have 4 weeks to submit your response. Surveys for enrolled children must be completed by parents and submitted by March 2008. Your participation is critical in identifying 9/11-related health problems, as well as, new medical conditions that have developed since 9/11. Please contact our office if we can be of assistance.

Warm Regards,

Mary
 

VOICES programs and events

The Holiday Season by Dr. Robin F. Goodman

The winter holidays seem to follow fast on the heels of the September 11th anniversary. Like many occasions, they can be an exciting time for some and a challenging one for others. There are an abundance of public reminders about the holidays – at places of worship, in shopping malls, in the mail, at school, and at work – that may trigger thoughts of holidays past... read full article

9/11 living memorial feature

9/11 Living Memorial Naperville Illinois

The Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial is located along the Riverwalk adjacent to the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street. It is dedicated to Commander Shanower, a Naperville native who died in the attack on the Pentagon, and the other 3,000 casualties of 9/11. Created with privately raised funds on land provided by the city of Naperville, the memorial features a sculpture with a beam from the World Trade Center, fragments from the Pentagon and granite from the Pennsylvania region where Flight 93 crashed after passengers rose against the hijackers. A wall of faces symbolizing the 9/11 casualties serves as a backdrop for the memorial. It was dedicated on September 11, 2003. The memorial includes 48-foot long Wall of Faces, landscaped garden, an eternal flame, and a flagpole.

EVENTS AND INFORMATION FOR THE 9/11 COMMUNITY

National Security and Intelligence

Dana Priest - Washington Post Staff Writer - Thursday, November 29, 2007; 12:30 PM

Washington Post intelligence reporter Dana Priest was online Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 12:30 p.m. ET to discuss the latest developments in national security and intelligence.

The transcript

Feds to Revise No - Match Rule

Following a legal challenge led by business and labor groups, the Department of Homeland Security is planning to revise a controversial rule to punish employers who fail to verify worker social security information.

Last month, a federal judge put a hold on the proposed rule, which is part of the Bush administration's clamp down on illegal labor, saying the government had failed to gauge its impact on smaller employers as required under federal law.

Read More

Health Department Releases New Findings on Children Exposed to the WTC Disaster

Adult Enrollees in the WTC Health Registry Have Four Weeks Left To Complete a Crucial Follow-Up Survey

Findings released by the Health Department today provide the first broad snapshot of physical and mental health effects among children exposed to the World Trade Center disaster. The survey found that children under five had an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with asthma in the two to three years following the event, though not as sharp an increase as rescue workers. The survey did not find evidence of elevated levels of post-traumatic stress in children.

Health Department researchers will meet with WTC Health Registry enrollees and other community members tonight at the Second Annual Meeting and Resource Fair at Pace University to present these and other recent findings from the World Trade Center Health Registry initial survey, conducted in 2003 and 2004.

Patriot Act Lite?

Civil liberatarians are worried that a little-known anti-terrorism bill now making its way through Congress with virtually no debate could be planting the seeds of another USA Patriot Act, which was hurriedly enacted into law after the Al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001.

The “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act,” co-authored by the former chair of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Jane Harmon (D-California), passed the House by an overwhelming 400-6 vote last month, and will soon be considered by the Senate.  

Read more coverage of the story.

EPA Releases First Round of Data from its Lower Manhattan Test and Clean Program on Web

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the first round of sampling results from its Lower Manhattan Test and Clean program, established to identify the possible presence of contaminants associated with the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings. EPA has posted this round of data on its Web site. The Agency is continuing to test residential and commercial spaces and will update the Web site regularly as more data becomes available.

Read more