“There was a great sense of national pride. People wanted to be back and volunteered to be down there. I think we knew it was toxic, and I think what these files are covering is that there was more known than the public was aware of.”
That’s what Joseph Allen, professor of exposure assessment science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health told CNN after the release of over 170,000 pages of documents revealing just how toxic the air was following 9/11.
Andrew Whelton, an engineering professor at Purdue University, had this to say about the response to 9/11 as well as other disasters like the LA fires in 2025:
“What I hope is taken from this is that there’s a doubling down on understanding the importance of protecting workers that we expect to go into harm’s way, and being honest with them about the hazards that they could face, protecting them from the hazards they do face, and then walking with them in the future to make sure that we didn’t miss anything, and their health is protected.”
CNN, 9/12/26
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