On this 11th anniversary of the awful attacks on the World Trade Center, Federal health authorities announce that mesothelioma will be added to the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Progarm created by the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 to cover First Responders who were exposed to asbestos. The Zadroga Act originally only covered a short list of illnesses, but now has added 58 new cancers to the list, one of which is mesothelioma.
On September 11, 2001, almost 3,000 people were killed and the World Trade Center destroyed as hijackers crashed passenger jets into the Twin Towers. The dust and the debris from the fallen towers was immense, and full of toxins such as asbestos, lead, glass, gypsum, etc. Unfortunately, due to exposure to such toxins by those who were on the scene or first responded to the scene, the number of deaths caused by this attack still continues.
Many of those who helped with rescue and clean up have developed serious illness and cancers, one of which is mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is caused by inhaling microscopic asbestos fibers. Almost every building constructed before 1980 contains asbestos materials, and the buildings that sustained damage or were destroyed created tons of contaminated dust that was inhaled by rescue workers and those in the nearby area.
With the expansion of this Act, First Responders who develop mesothelioma are now entitled to receive free medical care as well as compensation for lost wages and any financial loss.
