Advocates for 9/11 survivors file new lawsuit to force release of Ground Zero toxin data
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NEW YORK. Attorneys representing 9/11 survivors and families of responders sickened after the World Trade Center attacks have filed a new lawsuit against New York City, accusing officials of withholding critical environmental exposure records despite a recent discovery of previously undisclosed documents.
The suit, filed Sunday by attorneys Andrew Carboy and Matthew McCauley on behalf of 9/11 Health Watch and families of victims, seeks a court order compelling the city to release long‑requested data on airborne toxins that blanketed Lower Manhattan after the towers collapsed.
According to reporting from the New York Daily News and Firehouse, New York City recently denied a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request for toxin‑related records, claiming no responsive documents could be located.
This denial came just months after the city’s Department of Environmental Protection was forced—through a previous lawsuit—to turn over 68 boxes of 9/11 environmental data it had long claimed did not exist.
Those boxes reportedly included:
- Internal memos
- Air‑quality assessments
- A directive ordering all agencies to send 9/11‑related documents to the city’s Law Department
Advocates say this contradicts the city’s repeated claims of having “no records.”
Attorneys Accuse City of ‘Three‑Card Monte’ With 9/11 Records
Attorney Andrew Carboy sharply criticized the city’s shifting explanations, saying officials are “playing hide and seek with people’s lives” and treating FOIL like “a rigged card game.”
He argues that the city’s responses have been inconsistent for nearly 25 years, and that the latest denial simply swaps in a new administration—Mayor Zohran Mamdani—without changing the pattern of obstruction.
FOIL Appeals Also Rejected
The lawsuit states that:
- A 2023 FOIL request for toxin data sent to the Mayor’s Office and Law Department was closed without records
- Two subsequent appeals were also denied, the last on March 20, 2026
- FOIL Appeals Officer Jeffrey Lowell claimed searches “have not identified any records responsive to your requests” and that Law Department files “are not maintained in a manner that allows it to search for records responsive to the request.”
This denial came three weeks after incoming Corporation Counsel Steven Banks publicly pledged to review and release 9/11‑related archives “where possible.”
Background: A Long Fight Over Ground Zero Exposure Data
Tens of thousands of responders, survivors, and downtown residents have reportedly developed cancers and chronic illnesses linked to toxic dust and smoke from the World Trade Center site.
Advocacy groups argue that full disclosure of environmental monitoring data is essential for:
- Medical research
- Survivor compensation claims
- Public accountability
The city has faced repeated criticism for its handling of 9/11 health records, including earlier disputes over EPA and DEP air‑quality assessments.
Further Reading:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/nyc-denies-another-request-9-210400066.html?