MANHATTAN — Injured and sick 9/11 responders and cleanup workers eligible for federal compensation through the Zadroga Act can attend one of three local town hall meetings to learn about eligibility and other details on the program.
The $2.8 billion Victim Compensation Fund's new special master, Sheila Birnbaum, has been advising victims on applying for relief, what illnesses are eligible for compensation and any other concerns.
In an announcement Friday, Birnbaum invited responders to three late July and early August meetings.
The town hall meetings are as follows:
- Wednesday, July 27, 6 - 7:30 p.m.: Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd., Kew Gardens, NY
- Thursday, July 28, 6 - 7:30 p.m.: Jersey City City Hall - Council Chambers, 280 Grove St., Jersey City, NJ
- Tuesday, Aug. 2 6 - 7:30 p.m.: Melville Marriott, 1350 Old Walt Whitman Rd., Melville, NY
While the fund was largely seen as an important step to justly compensating families of those who died and others who suffered long-term illnesses, locals have concerns.
One complaint about the fund is that the money will not be made available to cancer victims who believe their illnesses were triggered by exposure to toxic materials from World Trade Center debris.
Another complaint, voiced in a recent petition, criticizes Birnbaum's proposal that the fund be open to only those who were below Reade Street in Manhattan. The eligibility zone does not encompass those who were in Little Italy, Chinatown and part of the Lower East Side where the World Trade Center dust also heavily polluted the air, the petitioners argue.
Victims and workers can begin applying to the compensation fund starting on Oct. 1, although they are not expected to receive the full payout until 2016.
More information on the fund and eligibility can be found at the United States Department of Justice's website.
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Jan. 2, 2011.
