OAN Staff Addie Davis
3:30 PM – Tuesday, September 8, 2026
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the city has released more than 170,000 pages of records detailing the government’s response and the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
On Tuesday, just three days before the 25th anniversary of 9/11, NYC rolled out a portal featuring the documents revealing city officials’ concerns about air quality in the aftermath of the Islamist attacks.
“There was poison in the air and on the ground and in the window sills and in your air conditioners and covering your pets and your clothes, and it stayed there for months,” said Jon Stewart, host of “The Daily Show,” during Tuesday’s press conference. “Everyone knew, and now it’s very clear that the city knew as well,” he continued.
According to the CDC, an estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants, physical injuries, and trauma in the aftermath of the attacks. In the years since, more people have died from 9/11-related illnesses than were killed on the day itself.
“People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,” Mamdani stated.
Speaking on the documents included in the portal, Mamdani stated that his administration will shed light on the city’s mindset in the aftermath of the attack.
“These are documents that show what the city knew about the toxic air around ground zero, when they knew it, and how they acted to limit liability,” he said.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the air was safe to breathe days after the terrorist attacks, according to The Center for Public Integrity. However, per the CDC, fires within debris piles continued to burn and have flare-ups months after the attacks, going into 2002.
“And rather than take the steps to ameliorate the damage that that would cause to its citizens and to the people that were down there, they instead covered it up to get back to business as usual,” Stewart said. “But unfortunately, after 9/11, business will never be usual again.”
The release of the records corresponded with the settlement of two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch against the city.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
Be the first to comment