The cancer of 9/11

February 25, 2012,

By Staten Island Advance Editorial

Help might finally be on the way for heroes of 9/11 who have fallen ill with cancer. The disease has slowly been overtaking all too many of the first responders at Ground Zero.

Now a federal panel has advised that a $2.76-billion program for people sickened by World Trade Center toxins ought to be expanded to include cancers.

The Zadroga Act, which covers asthma, breathing problems and other ailments, excludes cancer from the list of illnesses eligible for treatment and compensation.

This must change as soon as possible. As we have urged before, those who have been sickened from working on the pile of toxic debris - police, firefighters, emergency workers and others - deserve government-backed health care and financial support.

Remember they were initially misled by officials to believe that the dust on the ground and in the air was safe.
To this point, the list of covered illnesses has remained limited, partly because federal lawmakers were concerned about runaway costs and illegitimate claims.

But there is no question that known carcinogens - including asbestos, benzene-laden jet fuel and other toxins - were present among the nearly 300 chemicals that Ground Zero workers handled and inhaled day after day.

For some, the results have already been lethal. ...

This is the TRUTH. Read the rest of this one here.