9/11 law firm responds to EPA's review of corrosive dust

Parker Waichman LLP,  the national law firm that represents surviving emergency responders present at the 9/11 attacks, commented on Wednesday about a court decision that will see the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review its limits on corrosive dust.

The U.S. District Court of Appeals for Washington D.C. has ordered the EPA to reconsider a rulemaking petition filed by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and an EPA chemist. The petition, which was filed in 2011, asks the EPA to revise its harmful corrosive dust limits in the wake of a range of illnesses cropping up in those present at Ground Zero on 9/11.

"Sadly, some 9/11 first responders and survivors have already suffered the consequences of the current standards,” Parker Waichman Senior Litigation Counsel Matthew J. McCauley said. “We hope for swift action and stricter regulations based on current scientific evidence, and hope that these regulations will prevent future tragedies."

The EPA must respond to the petition by next March. In the meantime, Parker Waichman is also lobbying for the reauthorization of the Zadroga Act, which covers treatment, monitoring and compensation for those medically affected by 9/11.

"Extending the Zadroga Act is crucial to responders and survivors who suffered from this type of toxic dust exposure, as well as other injuries," McCauley said.