By Alex Formuzis, Vice President for Strategic Campaigns

In less than 20 minutes, the terrorist-controlled airliners hit both towers of the World Trade Center complex on the morning of September 11, 2001.  As tens of thousands of workers and residents in lower Manhattan strained to get out of the area, a group of Americans worked their way toward the buildings and an emergency situation the likes of which they’d never seen.

New York City firefighters and other first responders descended on the scene with the sole purpose of saving the lives of innocent people still trapped in the burning buildings, running up the stairwells of both towers, working to get as many people out as possible.

By 9:59 am the South Tower collapsed, with the North Tower buckling 29 minutes later, killing nearly 3,000 people, 343 who were NYC firefighters.  In the hours and days that followed, those brave men and women dug through toxic rubble and breathed in asbestos-filled air as they searched for survivors.

On the eve of the 14^th anniversary of that fateful day, Congress is about to vote on legislation that will put some of those first responders, rescue and recovery workers, and volunteers who worked around the clock at Ground Zero at risk. 

Legislation authored by Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, – H.R. 526, the so-called FACT Act – and backed by big asbestos corporations and insurance giants like Koch Industries, Honeywell, 3M, Allstate and Nationwide, will delay and deny compensation to those who are or will become sick from asbestos-related diseases likely as a result of their heroism in response to the 9/11 attacks.

And, to add insult to injury, the legislation will put asbestos victims, including first responders, at heightened risk of identity theft.

You can read more about the Farenthold bill and its implications for fire fighters and first responders in this op-ed by EWG Executive Director Heather White.