Newman David M
New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, New York, NY 10038, USA.
New Solut. 2008;18(1):23-56. doi: 10.2190/NS.18.1.c.
The tragic events of 9/11/01 and thereafter produced the worst environmental disaster in the history of New York City. Exposure to World Trade Center-derived toxic contaminants at Ground Zero and throughout Lower Manhattan has produced clinically diagnosed persistent respiratory and other illnesses in multiple exposure populations, with fatalities beginning to be reported. Government efforts to protect public health and to assess and remediate contaminants have been minimal. In response, a broad and sophisticated grassroots environmental movement has arisen in Lower Manhattan to push for environmental cleanup and for access to health care for impacted populations and communities. This movement unites community, labor, and environmental groups and continues to organize five years after 9/11. This article examines the development of grassroots response efforts, the work of the World Trade Center Community Labor Coalition, and obstacles encountered in coalition-building. Testimony of community and labor activists is provided in the appendix. The context for this article is provided by the companion article that precedes it in this issue of New Solutions. The preceding article examines the scope of the environmental disaster, the statutory requirements that regulate governmental response, and the nature of government response efforts.
2001年9月11日及其后的悲剧事件造成了纽约市历史上最严重的环境灾难。在世贸中心遗址及整个曼哈顿下城接触源自世贸中心的有毒污染物，已在多个接触人群中导致临床诊断出持续性呼吸道疾病和其他疾病，且已有死亡病例开始报告。政府在保护公众健康以及评估和整治污染物方面所做的努力微乎其微。作为回应，曼哈顿下城兴起了一场广泛而成熟的基层环保运动，以推动环境清理工作，并为受影响的人群和社区争取医疗保健服务。这场运动联合了社区、劳工和环保组织，在9·11事件过去五年后仍在持续组织活动。本文审视了基层应对努力的发展情况、世贸中心社区劳工联盟的工作以及在联盟建设过程中遇到的障碍。社区和劳工活动家的证词见附录。本文的背景由本期《新解决方案》中位于其之前的配套文章提供。前文审视了环境灾难的范围、规范政府应对措施的法定要求以及政府应对努力的性质。
