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EPA New England Office Assists in Response to Terrorist Attack

Release Date: 09/14/2001
Contact Information: Andrew Spejewski, EPA Press Office (617-918-1014)

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England Office has responded to the World Trade Center terrorist attack by sending staff and equipment to assist the agency's New York regional office which is responding at the World Trade Center site in Manhattan.

"EPA New England is ready and willing to do everything it can to help our New York regional office in responding to this terrible tragedy," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England Office. "We have personnel and equipment there and on the way and we're on call to respond to any further requests."

Shortly after the attacks on Tuesday, all EPA New England emergency response personnel were deployed to their homes with vehicles and response and communications equipment to ensure the regional office's ability to respond in the event of additional attacks or routine hazardous materials incidents in New England.

Additionally, emergency response personnel staffed the EPA desk at the FEMA Federal Regional Center in Maynard, MA (24-hour-a-day operation) through Wednesday. FEMA's Maynard facility was activated because FEMA's regional facility in New York City was non-operational.

At the request of the agency's New York regional office, EPA New England is sending three emergency response on-scene coordinators and one communications specialist to assist efforts at the site. Two staff arrived today at EPA's Field Office in Edison, NJ and two more will be arriving Monday, bringing respirator cartridges and other equipment requested by the agency's New York office. Most of the agency's activity so far is focused on testing air quality for asbestos, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and lead to ensure the safety of response personnel and adjacent neighborhoods.