Public Employee Press

DC 37 presses for 9/11 bill in Congressional hearing

New York State Congress members are making a second try at passing legislation on behalf of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009 is named for Detective James Zadroga, who died after spending hundreds of hours at the World Trade Center disaster site.

In February, U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Peter King and Michael McMahon reintroduced the bill to provide health care, monitoring and compensation for people who remain sickened by exposure to WTC dust.

On March 31, Local 375 member Mike Kenny, former member Ron Vega and DC 37 Safety and Health Director Lee Clarke attended a congressional hearing on the compensation section of the bill. Clarke accompanied Leona Hull, sister of the late Leon Heyward, a Consumer Affairs Dept. Inspector and Local 1759 member who made numerous trips to help evacuate co-workers from near the World Trade Center.

One year later, Heyward developed respiratory problems, eventually diagnosed as pulmonary sarcoidosis, which progressed; he had to stop working in 2005. This lung disease has increased among WTC rescue workers, testified Dr. James Melius at the hearing.

Heyward’s Workers’ Compensation claim was contested by the city Law Dept. and denied. He struggled to get by, eventually developed lymphoma and died last year at 45.

At the request of Heyward’s family, the city medical examiner conducted an autopsy, and, based on finding sarcoidosis caused by WTC dust exposures, he reported the death as a homicide related to the 9/11 attacks.

Melius, an epidemiologist and medical doctor, has been involved in numerous initiatives on behalf of the victims of the WTC attacks. His testimony explained that current compensation systems in place fail to do justice for these individuals and their families, because the insurers challenge claimants at every step. “A disabled worker will often spend months or years without any income while waiting for claims to be approved.”

Many more WTC rescuers and area residents have health issues in their future. “Mr. Heyward struggled to get by with little income and facing severe medical problems,” said Melius.