New Yorkers are still questioning their air's safety after a steam pipe eruption spewed dirt and debris into the sky over midtown. Many remember the cover-up after the last major pipe rupture and the illnesses ground zero workers faced years after officials assured them lower Manhattan was safe.Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday declared the air free of asbestos, saying "every single test" showed no asbestos in the air. Other city officials were unwavering in that assessment, as well.
Yet, the painful legacy of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was evident among area residents and workers.
The debris from Wednesday's rupture was nothing close to the scale of the twin towers' collapse, but the sight of police in filtration masks and the warnings to area residents to keep windows closed and to throw out any clothing touched by dust or debris added to people's fears.
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