Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the New York City Law Department today announced the release of 40,000 additional City records related to the horrific terror attacks of September 11, making them available to the public for the first time in 25 years.
Last month, Mayor Mamdani made history by creating the City's first public portal for 9/11 records, nyc.gov/sept11docs, and settling a multiyear legal battle over air quality and health concerns following the attacks.
For years, 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, which now features more than 200,000 pages of including the long-discussed Harding Memo and the materials known as the "68 Boxes."
"Our commitment to honoring the victims of the horrific terror attacks of September 11 and delivering accountability and transparency to survivors cannot begin or end on the anniversary. The first responders, family members and survivors of that terrible day deserve transparency and accountability from their City government every day," said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. "When we created the City's first public records portal related to September 11th and released the first 170,000 pages, we made an enduring promise of documents, it wasn't a box-check - it was the first of many steps we are taking to bring closure and clarity to millions of New Yorkers. I am proud to release these next 40,000 documents to the portal for the first time in New York City and looking forward to the work to come."
"For decades, families of 9/11 victims, 9/11 survivors, first responders and advocacy groups had to fight municipal bureaucracy to get the transparency they deserved," said Corporation Counsel Steven Banks. "Today, we are expanding on our commitment by making tens of thousands of additional documents regarding the City's response to September 11 available to the public."
"In the aftermath of September 11, New Yorkers were left in the dark about what City officials knew about the quality of the air we were breathing. 25 years later, and we are finally getting answers. Today's announcement is an important step toward transparency and accountability, with the release of 40,000 documents that will help shed light on one of the darkest chapters in our city's history. Thousands of New Yorkers suffered devastating, life-threatening health consequences from exposure to the toxic air, and our families deserve to know the truth. This release would not have been possible without the leadership of the New York City Council, Council Member Gale Brewer, and the many tireless advocates, and I thank the Mamdani Administration for their commitment to transparency and making this a reality," said City Council Speaker Julie Menin.
"What we have seen, after a review of the documents that have been released so far, is a disturbing record that even when the extent of the hazards were realized, the City, the State and the Federal government did not change course, slowing down the return of the community to homes, schools and offices, or at the least having a better cleanup effort," said Benjamin Chevat, Executive Director of 911 Health Watch Inc. "Mayor Mamdani and Corporation Counsel Steve Banks continue to deserve credit for their agreement with 911 Health Watch to make these documents, that had been hidden for decades public-and for their commitment to releasing even in the coming months."
"For a quarter century, 9/11 survivors, first responders and the families of those suffering from 9/11-related illnesses have sought to know exactly what the City knew about air quality concerns around Ground Zero, and when they knew it. Today, the Mamdani administration takes another stride forward in its commitment to providing New Yorkers with the transparency they deserve. I commend the Mamdani administration for releasing 40,000 additional records to the public, and thank Mayor Mamdani and Corporation Counsel Steve Banks for their leadership," said Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal.
"Kudos to Mayor Mamdani and Corporation Counsel Steve Banks for living up to their commitment to release more 9/11 documents as they find, scan and post them to the publicly accessible portal," said Council Member Gale A. Brewer. "I hope the revelations provide some measure of closure to those families who have been coping with 9/11-related illness or death-and serve as an example to future administrations how to manage a disaster with clarity and transparency rather than evasion and denial."
This release is the second installment of records being made public under the court agreement between 911 Health Watch and the Mamdani Administration. Additional records will be released in the coming months. New Yorkers can visit the September 11th documents portal at nyc.gov/sept11docs.
