NYC releases long-hidden 9/11 documents on air quality risks

See more of our coverage in your search results. A massive secret trove of 9/11-related New York City records were released Tuesday, revealing city leaders potentially misled the public about toxic air risks in the aftermath of the terror attacks 25 years ago. Nearly 170,000 pages of records — including a bombshell October 2001 memo showing city officials knew about potential Ground Zero risks — detailing health and air quality concerns are now publicly available in an online portal. The release — which stems from a settlement of two long-running lawsuits by the 9/11 Health Watch watchdog group — represents a hard-fought victory for advocates who raised alarms over air toxins after the World Trade Center towers fell. Advertisement 3 People leave the World Trade Center after the first explosion on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. Mary Altaffer for NY Post 3 New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attends a press conference on Sept. 8, 2026 — where over 170,000 pages of records related to air quality in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks were finally released. REUTERS 3 Smoke billows from lower Manhattan after two planes crashed into the World Trade Center, collapsing the twin 110-story towers, Tuesday, September 11, 2001, in New York. Explosions also rocked the Pentagon and the State Department. AP Photo/Chad Rachman Advertisement 'It is time for this painful chapter to end,' Mayor Zohran Mamdani said from City Hall, where he was joined by Jon Stewart and other advocates for 9/11 survivors and first responders. 'These are documents that show what the city knew about toxic air around Ground Zero, when they knew it and how they acted to limit liability,' he said. 'They contain details about (Department of Environmental Protection) response, they show how asbestos was found nearly every where that inspectors tested and they will help New Yorkers as they access the healthcare they need.' The cache of files includes the infamous so-called 'Harding memo' — an October 2001 missive written by Big Apple lawyers to Bob Harding, then–deputy mayor for economic development under Mayor Rudy Giuliani, that admitted the city could face tens of thousands of lawsuits from people who faced toxic exposure. Other records come from '68 boxes' of 9/11 health-related documents that were only located in 2025.