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EPA Wash Stations in Lower Manhattan Suppress Dust, Protect Workers

Release Date: 10/18/2001
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(#01129) New York, N.Y. -- Every truck, car and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) leaving the World Trade Center site passes through an EPA wash station to insure that dust from the disaster is not spread throughout the city. At wash stations for workers, boots are scrubbed and facilities are provided for personal care ranging from emergency eye-washes to general hygiene. Eighteen and 22-wheel trucks hauling as much as 30 tons of steel or concrete are power washed to remove dust and debris. Their loads are wet down to contain dust while they drive to piers or directly to the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island. Some 4,500 tons of material is removed by barge each day; another 2,000 tons is transported by truck. Other vehicles, including cars and ATVs, also get power washed as they leave the site. EPA is currently constructing a 120' x 260' heated facility at West and Murray Streets capable of handling shift-changes and other large numbers of people. The facility will include showers, lockers and HEPA (Highly Efficient Particulate Air) vacuum cleaners for removing dust from clothing. Several winterized truck-wash stations are planned so operations can continue through the coming months.