Congressman Dan Goldman Convenes Townhall on World Trade Center Health Program’s New 9/11 Youth Research Cohort
Youth Research Cohort Will Study Health Effects of Exposure to Ground Zero Toxins on Those Aged 21 Years or Younger at Time of 9/11 Attacks
Watch the Recording of the Townhall Here
New York, NY – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) yesterday hosted the World Trade Center Health Program’s (WTCHP) Dr. Joan Reibman and 9/11 Environmental Action’s Director Kimberly Flynn for an information and community feedback session on the WTCHP’s new 9/11 Youth Research Cohort. The Youth Research Cohort was created by the 2023 Federal Spending Bill to study the long-term health of individuals who were aged 21 years or younger – including those in utero – at the time of the 9/11 attacks and were exposed to the toxins released in the aftermath of the attacks on Ground Zero.
"Living in downtown Manhattan on September 11th, I will never forget watching the second plane hit the Towers and the soot-covered people walking up Hudson Street. And I won’t forget that false promises were made to survivors and first responders that Ground Zero was safe from toxins,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “The 9/11 terror attacks had immense effects on everyone in the immediate vicinity of Ground Zero, including the children and young adults who are still dealing with the health effects from their exposure. We owe it to every single survivor and their families to get them the answers they deserve and provide them with the resources they need to care for their health. This new 9/11 Youth Cohort is a crucial step towards fulfilling those obligations.”
In December 2022, an amendment to the 2023 Federal Spending Bill secured $1 Billion to partially address the impending budget shortfall facing the WTCHP. A provision in this amendment created the 9/11 Youth Research Cohort, which is currently in Phase I of its establishment. The Phases are as follows:
Phase I: Community Engagement: Gather sufficient information from educators, scientists, and community members on options for establishing a youth cohort that will efficiently support future research.
Phase II: Options Development: Use the information gathered in Phase I to develop a set of options for moving forward with the establishment of the youth cohort.
Phase III: Options Ranking: Engage community in ranking the options developed in Phase II.
Phase IV: Option Selection and Implementation: Use the information from Phase III to select the preferred option(s) for establishing the youth cohort
Kimberly Flynn, Director of 9/11 Environmental Action said, "We are grateful to Congressman Goldman for hosting today’s event so that young survivors and the broader community can be educated about the new 9/11 Youth Research Cohort authorized to track the health of people exposed to the WTC disaster as children. Expert presenter Dr. Joan Reibman explained to attendees why the new cohort is needed, and how it can have the potential to serve as the basis for longitudinal research that will give young survivors and the survivor community the scientifically sound answers we all need."
Benjamin Chevat, Executive Director of 911 Health Watch Inc, said, “We are gratified by Congressman Goldman’s commitment to ensuring that the youth that were exposed to the toxins that covered lower Manhattan and Western Brooklyn get the research done that has long been needed on their health impacts that they have experienced and his efforts to include the community in this.”
Since taking office, Congressman Goldman has continued to fight for 9/11 survivors, first responders, and their families. In February, Congressman Goldman and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) urged New York City Mayor Eric Adams to release documentation revealing the extent of then-Mayor Rudy Guiliani’s Administration’s knowledge of the toxic release and potential health impacts. The members’ request was denied a month later.
In response, Congressman Goldman and Congressman Nadler then urged Mayor Adams’s Administration to comply with a Freedom of Information Law Request filed by Families of 9/11 Responders and Survivors to obtain documents crucial to understanding the health impacts of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Additionally, Congressman Goldman introduced, alongside members of the New York and New Jersey delegations and community advocates, the bipartisan 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act to close the funding shortfall in the WTCHP. The bill would address the long-term funding shortfall, allow excluded Pentagon and Shanksville responders to join the program, and make technical corrections to the program.
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