New York Public Radio reports that a new study whose results were released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) this week states that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “misled the public” regarding the presence of dangerous asbestos particles in many Lower Manhattan apartments after 9/11.

According to the report, the EPA had paid for the clean-up of about 4,000 apartments in the WTC area in the 2 years following the attacks. The report noted that “a very small number” of apartments contained unsafe levels of asbestos. What the report did not state, however, was that the air testing was done after the apartments were cleaned, not before.

The report was released on June 20th during hearings held by the Senate Health Committee. One GAO official described the EPA’s asbestos testing as “misleading.” During the hearings, EPA officials also answered questions about giving the “all-clear” to workers and residents to re-occupy Lower Manhattan after the attacks. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) said she will request that the GAO conduct another study to measure the preparedness of the EPA should another similar catastrophe occur in the future.

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