ADAO backs release of 9/11 records and urges outreach to exposed New Yorkers

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization praised New York City’s release of about 170,000 pages of post-9/11 records and said the city must do more to reach people who may qualify for health care and compensation. The group says the portal could help rebuild trust, but only if survivors and other at-risk New Yorkers know it exists and can use it.

Why it matters: - The newly opened NYC 9/11 Records Portal could help survivors, families, and first responders document exposure, access medical care, and seek compensation. - ADAO says the records also matter for public trust because they shed light on air quality, toxic exposures, and public-health risks after the attacks. - Asbestos exposure remains a long-term health threat, with diseases that can emerge decades later.

What happened: - The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization praised Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s release of about 170,000 pages of New York City records tied to post-9/11 air quality, toxic exposures, and public-health risks. - The records were made available through the NYC 9/11 Records Portal. - Linda Reinstein, ADAO president and cofounder, said the release followed work by the mayor, the New York City Law Department, 9/11 Health Watch, pro bono attorneys Andrew Carboy and Matthew McCauley, City Council members, survivors, families, and advocates. - Mamdani said New Yorkers had long had to fight for access to records that should have been public already.

The details: - ADAO said asbestos is a proven human carcinogen with no safe level of exposure. - ADAO said asbestos can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other diseases. - Those illnesses may not appear until decades after exposure. - Dr. Jacqueline M. Moline, director of the Northwell Health Queens World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, said lung cancers have doubled in five years. - Moline said cancer numbers are likely to keep rising because of asbestos and other chemicals released after 9/11. - ADAO said opening the records is not enough on its own. - New York City must make sure survivors, families, health professionals, and potential federal-assistance applicants know the portal exists and get help using it. - ADAO urged sustained outreach to residents, workers, teachers, students, cleanup workers, and others who may qualify for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund or the World Trade Center Health Program. - Reinstein said some people may be developing cancer and other diseases only now after being told it was safe to return home, to offices, and to schools.

Between the lines: - The release is as much about accountability as access, with ADAO framing disclosure as a long-overdue correction after years of limited public information. - The organization is also signaling that information alone will not reach people most at risk without an active city-led outreach effort. - The focus on eligibility suggests many exposed New Yorkers may still not realize they can seek benefits or treatment support. - ADAO said the records can support research, answer unanswered questions, and help the 9/11 community move toward healing.

What's next: - ADAO said it will review asbestos-related documents as they become available. - The organization said it is ready to help journalists, researchers, policymakers, and affected communities understand the public-health significance of the records. - New York City now faces pressure to launch sustained outreach tied to the portal and to federal aid programs. - ADAO’s call suggests the next phase will be less about disclosure and more about connecting exposed people with care, compensation, and documentation.

The bottom line: - The records portal is a major transparency step, but ADAO says its real value will depend on whether New York City reaches the people who still need help.