By Agence France-Presse
Sunday, November 7th, 2010
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/911-rescue-workers-vote-800-million-settlement/

Thousands of rescue workers sickened after the September 11 attacks in New York have until the end of Monday to accept a settlement that could near 800 million dollars.

A settlement on Friday saw a subgroup of workers compensated 28 million dollars for exposure to debris removed and transferred from Ground Zero to Staten Island by marine transportation company Weeks Marine.

But US District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein said in a related order that the plaintiffs could only claim compensation for it if they backed the larger agreement for up to 712.5 million dollars.

That settlement with New York City was reached in June and requires approval from 95 percent of the plaintiffs by 11:59 pm (0459 GMT) on Monday in order to be validated.

The proposed funds would be used for payments to the roughly 10,000 firefighters, health workers, police and other emergency responders who sought legal remedy after falling ill from toxic dust and debris emanating from the destroyed World Trade Center nine years ago.

Specter, Leahy question use of 9/11 fund money

By KIMBERLY HEFLING | Associated Press Writer
August 4, 2007

Two senators want to know why a $1 billion Sept. 11 insurance fund appropriated by Congress to help ailing ground zero workers has not been used to compensate those exposed to harmful substances.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and the committee's ranking Republican, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, said in a letter to the insurance company overseeing the Sept. 11 health-related claims that they are considering convening a hearing in September.

"Reports that the World Trade Center Captive Insurance Company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on salaries on administrators and over $45 million to private law firms are troubling," the letter said.

The two also said they have concerns about the $74 million that reportedly has been spent on overhead costs and legal bills. The letter, dated Wednesday, was addressed to Christine LaSala, CEO of WTC Captive Insurance Co.

[...]

From SlowpokeBlog, Commentary by Slowpoke cartoonist Jen Sorensen.

The+New+911+Casualties is a horrifying story about what happened to the rescue workers at Ground Zero — more particularly, what happened to their lungs. It’s a very good piece, with the exception of a brief but necessary wave to I.C. — Imperial Correctness. I.C. dictates that the American Empire can make mistakes and (it’s now being whispered) even be callous or downright scandalous in its behavior, but never EVER would it take the lead role in perpetrating atrocities — still less against its own people. That this is provably false from the historical record is not the point; nor will you persuade the willing upholders of I.C. that they are merely saying what Big Daddy tells them to. They can quite rightly point to the fact that they don’t always believe Big Daddy. Big Daddy, the national security state, might, indeed, be wrong. But if he did certain things, he would simply cease to BE Big Daddy, and that is NOT acceptable.

The brief but necessary wave consists of the following bit of disinfo about the Twin Towers, so transparent it might almost be a good thing:

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070509/ap_on_re_us/attacks_health

Ground Zero slide show: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/ts/091102groundzero;_ylt=AiusE4l5YPax2SDQW4hYBjpH2ocA

Study links lung disease to WTC work

By AMY WESTFELDT, Associated Press WriterTue May 8, 9:40 PM ET

Rescue workers and firefighters contracted a serious lung-scarring disease called sarcoidosis at a much higher rate after the Sept. 11 attacks than before, said a study that is the first to link the disease to exposure to toxic dust at ground zero.

The study, published by nine doctors including the medical officer monitoring city firefighters, Dr. David Prezant, found that firefighters and rescue workers contracted sarcoidosis in the year after Sept. 11, 2001, at a rate more than five times higher than the years before the attacks.

Unlike previous studies that have linked exposure to the toxic dust cloud that enveloped lower Manhattan after the World Trade Center's collapse to many different respiratory illnesses, this study zeros in on one disease.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/nyregion/31cnd-borja.html?ref=nyregion

By MARIA NEWMAN
Published: January 31, 2007
After meeting with President Bush today, the son of a former police officer who died last week from an illness that may have been linked to his rescue work at the World Trade Center on 9/11 said Mr. Bush had assured him that he wanted to expand federal financing for the medical needs of people injured at ground zero.

“I’m not quoting Mr. President, but what I heard is that there will be more support,” Cesar Borja Jr., 21, said in describing his meeting with the president. “I felt a dedication. I felt the motivation and appreciation as well that the president has for my father, my family and myself for coming this far.”

Cesar Borja Sr., 52, died of a lung disease hours before his son attended the State of the Union address last week in Washington to draw attention to the plight of 9/11 rescue workers like him who became ill after they were exposed to toxic dust at ground zero.