Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), who represents Ground Zero, issued the following statement in response to Christine Todd Whitman's comments apologizing for her actions that contributed to so many first responders and survivors becoming ill from toxins in the air following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (The Guardian).

"Former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman finally apologizes and assumes responsibility after 15 years!" said Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10). "Her statements about air quality in the days and weeks after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks falsely assured people that 'the air was safe to breathe.' As we detailed in a White Paper soon after the attacks and consistently demonstrated in a decade-long fight for justice, she made these statements in direct contradiction of data the EPA possessed at the time, and she allowed the White House to doctor press releases to downplay the extent of the contamination. As everyone down there knew, in reality, the air was full of deadly toxins, and as a result thousands of first responders, area workers, residents, and students have become sick and many have died. I fought side-by-side with then Senator Hillary Clinton in holding hearings and press conferences to make sure the truth got out, and to hold the government to account for its harmful actions. I am proud to have worked with Reps. Maloney, King, and the NY Congressional delegation, including Senators Gillibrand and Schumer, in the years that followed on the successful effort to obtain health care and compensation for the victims.

"I am hopeful that the former Administrator's statement -- which is, of course, cold comfort to the victims and their families -- puts to rest any question of the former Bush Administration's culpability during this horrific event and I hope it is a searing lesson for any and all government officials who, God forbid, should face something similar in the future. The government must tell the truth and protect its citizenry from harm."