NIOSH Announces Public Meeting on Implementation of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act

Contact: Fred Blosser, (202) 245-0645

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will host a public meeting on March 3 in New York City to receive comments from the public on implementing the provisions of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-347).

NIOSH will convene the public meeting in response to a request by Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Peter T. King (R-NY), the primary sponsors of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 in the U.S. House of Representatives. The meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Eastern Time, at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, 26 Federal Plaza, Broadway entrance, 6th Floor, Conference Room A/B, New York, N.Y. 10278.

The meeting is open to the public, limited by the space available. The meeting space accommodates approximately 300 people, and will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. In addition, there will be an audio conference setup for those who cannot attend in person. The toll-free call-in number is 1-800-619-8873; pass code 8693287.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 established the World Trade Center Health Program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, of which NIOSH is part. Comments from the public will help the Federal government in developing a plan to implement the Act by gaining perspectives from interested parties on ways to meet the Act's requirements.

The Act's requirements include:

• Medical monitoring for responders who were likely to have been exposed to airborne toxins that were released, or to other hazards, as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
• Initial health evaluation for survivors.
• Follow-up monitoring and treatment for responders and survivors related to World Trade Center-related health conditions.
• Education and outreach to potentially eligible individuals.
• Clinical data collection and analysis.
• Research on health conditions.

A copy of the full Act is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/wtc/hr847.html. A notice of the public meeting is available in the Federal Register and can be accessed at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/pdf/2011-3089.pdf.