9/11 health issue in spotlight

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Source: CCTV.com | 09-11-2007 14:08

The health of emergency crews is in the spotlight during this anniversary of 9/11. As Zeng Siwei tells us, many are claiming the New York city has failed to help them with severe medical problems.

Former police officer Richard Volpe visited Ground Zero during the anniversary of 9/11. He takes pride in being one of rescue workers here.But the heavy price he has paid for doing this duty frustrates him.

Volpe's kidneys are failing and he will eventually need a transplant.He says New York city has done little to help him.

Richard Volpe said, "I don't hear of that I know of any illnesses from the site in Washington. I mean they sealed the whole site off. Everybody that was in there had proper respirators and the had the tie back suits. Here at the World Trade Center where the toxins were probably a million times worse than there, they didn't take any of those preventions."

Volpe has joined the lawsuit against the city and agencies involved in the clean up, saying they failed to adequately safeguard his health from toxins and for not compensating him for his mounting medical bills.

There are about ten thousand New Yorkers, mostly firemen and construction workers, in what has become one of the biggest health related class action lawsuits against the city.

Some of the city's political leaders are keen to address this very issue. There are calls for legislation to provide health coverage and financial compensation to responders.