As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, newly released documents are renewing attention on the long-term health crisis still impacting first responders and survivors.
New York officials released a trove of documents showing the city was aware of post-9/11 air quality concerns and the risks toxic dust and debris posed to thousands of people in Lower Manhattan.
For retired FDNY Deputy Chief Richard Alles, the revelations only reinforce what survivors have said for years.
“It’s not a question of if you’re gonna get sick, it’s when,” Alles said.
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Alles spent days working at Ground Zero after the attacks and is now among more than 140,000 people enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program, a federal program that provides monitoring and treatment for illnesses linked to toxic exposure after 9/11.
Two years ago, Alles was diagnosed with prostate cancer, one of dozens of cancers tied to Ground Zero exposure. He credits the program with catching the disease early.
The release of the documents comes months after survivors and advocates fought to protect the World Trade Center Health Program amid staffing shortages and funding concerns that raised fears about disruptions in care.
Earlier this year, Congress approved full lifetime funding for the program, and the Trump administration approved additional staffing after backlash from advocates and lawmakers.
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“It should have never happened in the first place,” Alles said of the staffing crisis.
Over the past year, Alles traveled from New York to Washington to pressure lawmakers to preserve the program many survivors rely on for lifesaving treatment and monitoring.
“My hope is that we will never have to go back to Washington after this year, that Congress will do the right thing,” he said during one visit to Capitol Hill.
Advocates say the need for the program continues to grow as more survivors develop illnesses decades after the attacks. According to advocates and health officials, more people have now died from 9/11-related illnesses than were killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
“We lost 3,000 that day and three times as many people have died since 9/11,” Alles said. “So yeah, it’s an ongoing battle.”
As survivors reflect on the newly released records and the anniversary, many say the documents validate what they have long argued: the toxic air exposure after 9/11 continues to affect thousands of lives.
“We live on,” Alles said.
