Disaster Response and Grassroots Environmental Advocacy: The Example of the World Trade Center Community Labor Coalition

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:New solutions 2008-05, Vol.18 (1), p.23-56
Main Author: Newman, David M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activism
Advocacy
Community Networks
Consumer Advocacy
Contaminants
Disasters
Environmental cleanup
Environmental groups
Environmental Health
Environmental organizations
Environmental Restoration and Remediation
Environmentalism
Exposure
Grass roots movement
Health care access
Health services
Humans
New York City
Public health
September 11 Terrorist Attacks
September 11 terrorist attacks-2001
September 11, 2001 attacks
Social movements
Testimony
Trade
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Summary: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.
ISSN:1048-2911
1541-3772
DOI:10.2190/NS.18.1.c