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, features an initial release of approximately 170,000 pages of records concerning health concerns, air quality and the City's response to September 11th. The records include the frequently referenced Harding Memo, the "68 boxes" of records that were not located until 2025 despite multiple Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, and a collection of records concerning World Trade Center 7.
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."
"The release of City Hall's files related to the aftermath of 9/11 is a long-overdue reckoning. My colleagues and I who represented Ground Zero and the surrounding communities immediately warned local and federal officials of the health risks posed by toxins in the air at the time. Our warnings were not heeded, and now we and the public know that City Hall, led by former Mayor Giuliani, predicted that thousands of responders and community members would face devastating long-term health impacts from these toxins," said Congressman Jerry Nadler. "Giuliani's intentional obfuscation of the truth is a slap in the face to the heroes and community members who were exposed at Ground Zero and in schools, offices, and homes throughout the surrounding area. By hiding the truth, he prolonged our fight in Congress for funding to take care of victims' health needs, and cost the lives of other victims through unnecessary delays in healthcare interventions. While the damage to victims' health cannot be erased, I am grateful to the Mamdani administration for releasing these files so victims and their loved ones can have the transparency they deserve and officials who misled the public can be held accountable."
"For 25 years, first responders, survivors, families, and people who lived, worked and went to school in Lower Manhattan have lived with the health consequences of 9/11 while critical pieces of the City's own record-HOW they got sick-remained out of reach," said Council Member Gale A. Brewer. "On the Council, I fought for an independent DOI investigation (using a city charter provision for the first time, that's now fully funded thanks to Speaker Menin and my colleagues) because New Yorkers deserve to know what their government knew, when it knew it, and what decisions were made. This portal is a great first step toward giving the public access to that record, one that has been denied them under previous administrations until Steve Banks, Corporation Counsel, and Mayor Mamdani got involved."
"I'm extremely grateful to Mayor Mamdani and Corporation Counsel Steve Banks for representing the first City administration to heed the call of 9/11 responders, survivors and their families by finally opening the City's files on the 9/11 records and documents to help determine what and when the Giuliani administration knew about the health impact of the toxins at Ground Zero," said Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal. "Tens of thousands of first responders were exposed to toxic dust and smoke comprising more than 2,500 contaminants and continue to grapple with its long-term health consequences, including chronic respiratory illnesses and cancers. The Mamdani Administration's creation of a 9/11 health portal is a long-overdue step in providing transparency and accountability for these heroic Americans and their families who have endured decades of needless frustration and suffering due to government stonewalling. I urge New York State and the federal government to follow suit."
"For 25 years, I have fought for the first responders, survivors and families who were told the air was safe and later learned otherwise. They deserved the truth then, and they deserve the full truth now," said former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. "I commend Mayor Mamdani and Corporation Counsel Banks for releasing approximately 170,000 pages of records that belong to the people of New York and that will help survivors prove their presence in the Exposure Zone and secure the benefits they are owed. I fought to create and permanently fund the World Trade Center Health Program and September 11th Victim Compensation Fund because our obligation to the 9/11 community does not expire. Government records about September 11th belong to the people of New York."
