Gov. Pataki Takes Steps To Improve Air Quality Near World Trade Site

(27 September 2002 — New York)  Environmental Defense today praised New York Governor Pataki and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for the announcement of their plan to reduce harmful emissions from construction vehicles being used in the reconstruction of lower Manhattan’s World Trade Center site.

“With these steps, New York will be launching a national model for clean construction that will cut emissions before they have a chance to harm health,” said Andy Darrell, New York regional director of Environmental Defense.  “Non-road engines, which include construction vehicles, are among the nation’s super-polluters.   By requiring measures to reduce pollution from these vehicles now, Governor Pataki will help restore New Yorkers’ confidence in the air they breathe.”

Nationally, nonroad engines, like construction equipment at the WTC site, emit more fine particles than the nation’s passenger cars, trucks and power plants combined.  The harmful pollutants emitted from these engines are linked to asthma, increases in emergency room visits, cancer and other health effects.  Reducing pollution from these vehicles will help protect the lives of all people downtown, including over 4,000 children who live, attend school and play in parks within blocks of the site.

“The cost-effective steps outlined in this plan are good for the economy, good for the environment and good for the health of the many New Yorkers who live, work and play downtown,” said Darrell.  “This use of affordable retrofit technology and low sulfur, low polluting fuels should serve as a nationwide example of good government and smart public health protection.”

In January of this year, Environmental Defense issued a briefing paper, Rebuilding Lower Manhattan: A Clean Air Initiative, which called for the adoption of practical steps to improve the long-term air quality of lower Manhattan.  The plan announced today contains many of those recommendations, including the required use of ultra-low sulfur fuel (15 ppm) and best available retrofit technology by all state agency and authority fleets and contracts during the reconstruction of lower Manhattan.

Cleaning the Air at Ground Zero - Watch a video report about our winning fight to enact stricter air pollution controls for construction vehicles at the rebuild site of New York’s World Trade Center, which will be a model for reducing the harmful effects of heavy duty diesel-powered machines at construction sites around the country. (Real Player required)