Sure, President Obama signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in January 2011, but the act didn't cover cancer—until now.
After an 11-year battle, the federal government is poised to finally recognize that people who lived near Ground Zero — as well as rescue and recovery workers who sifted through the toxic rubble there — got cancer as a result.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health — which is responsible for deciding whether cancer should be among the illnesses covered by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act — is expected to announce the findings as early as tomorrow.
Michael Barasch and Noah Kushlefsky, two lawyers who represent thousands of first responders and residents, said legislative aides involved in drafting the new regulations and Victim Compensation Fund staffers told them that about 50 cancers would be included.
The act is named after NYPD detective James Zadroga, who died in 2006. While one medical examiner said that he did die from toxic World Trade Center dust, the city ruled that he didn't and Mayor Bloomberg even said that he wasn't a hero (he later apologized).
According to one of the lawyers, there's "new scientific evidence" linking cancer with the dust. Still, not everyone is happy about the situation: One smoker said, "They’re going to add cancers, but are they going to add more money to the fund? It’s crazy. Every time, we gotta fight"—it took forever for the Senate to pass the act—"It’s two years since Obama signed that bill and nobody’s got 10 cents."
