Mayor launches first public City portal for 9/11 records, including initial release of approximately 170,000 pages on health concerns, air quality and the City’s response to the horrific attacks – including Harding Memo and “68 boxes”
Mamdani Administration will appoint dedicated personnel at DCAS and NYCPS to help New Yorkers seeking records to access federal programs for health and compensation and promote both programs
View the portal HERE
Today, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the horrific September 11th terrorist attacks, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the release of more than 170,000 pages of City records documenting the government’s response to the attacks and their aftermath, as well as the settlement of two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch, ending a multi-year legal battle over records concerning air quality and health concerns following September 11th.
Across several mayoral administrations, first responders, elected officials and families of victims of 9/11-related illnesses have demanded the release of these records. Mayor Mamdani’s FY27 budget includes $34 million to create and maintain the public records portal.
The portal, available now at nyc.gov/sept11docs, feature
Law Department officials worked directly with 9/11 Health Watch to identify and include many of the records sought by plaintiffs in the initial release, while limiting omissions to those necessary, including the redaction of personally identifiable information. The portal will be updated regularly as the Law Department reviews additional City records over the next 12 months. The City expects substantially more documents will be released in the coming year as they are reviewed, and personally identifiable information is removed.
The Mamdani Administration will also appoint dedicated personnel at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) to coordinate the retrieval of records for New Yorkers seeking to establish their presence in the New York City Exposure Zone and access assistance through the two Federal Programs established under the Zadroga Act, the World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The Mamdani Administration will work to promote participation in both programs for responders and survivors.
“The very least our city owes the families, survivors and first responders whose lives were forever changed by the September 11th attacks is transparency and accountability. That is why I am proud that our administration has launched the City’s first public records portal dedicated to the environmental and health impacts of 9/11 and reached a settlement in these lawsuits,” said Mayor Mamdani. “For too long, New Yorkers have had to fight for access to records that should have been available to them in the first place. This portal is part of our administration’s enduring commitment to honor those we lost, care for those living with lasting health consequences and give thousands of New Yorkers the answer they’ve been asking for.”
“For years, survivors and families have been asking for more transparency from their government,” said Corporation Counsel Steven Banks. “We have heard them and today we are launching this portal to give the public access to information and documents related to the City government’s response to the September 11th attacks, documents that were never previously made available to the public and that are essential to understanding the City’s actions and decisions, both during the months after September 11th and in the subsequent years.”
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