Author Archives: Michael Barasch
Study Confirms Intense WTC Dust Exposure Linked to Heart and Lung Disease
A recent study of 9/11 survivors, published in the online journal Injury Epidemiology, confirms that intense exposure to the toxic dust of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 — but not subsequently — was enough to cause significantly greater risk of heart and lung disease a decade or more later. The study was […]
BREAKING NEWS: VCF Requires Claimants to Enroll in the WTC Health Program
The Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) has changed its regulations for eligibility. While there are a few exceptions, it is now a requirement that all claimants have their WTC-linked illnesses certified through World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP). Getting certified by the WTCHP has always been the fastest way to have the VCF find your conditions […]
Study Sees Link Between Mild TBI and PTSD in Emergency Responders
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in the Journal of Neurotrauma has “identified risk factors for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), making it possible to screen for PTSD symptoms among at-risk populations,” according to the website MedicalXpress. An important aspect […]
9/11 Victim’s Compensation Fund Special Master Reports on Progress
Congress created the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) to compensate people who suffered physical harm due to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and/or the subsequent debris removal. The original VCF operated from 2001 to 2004, but the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 reactivated the VCF in October 2011 […]
Stony Brook’s WTC Wellness Program Receives $60M Federal Contract
The Stony Brook University World Trade Center Wellness Program, which serves about 10,000 emergency responders and survivors of 9/11, will be able to expand facilities and services thanks to a five-year, $60 million contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The contract names Stony Brook […]
Manhattan DA Seeks $22M Restitution from 9/11 PTSD Scammers
More than three years after indicting 137 alleged scammers who falsely claimed 9/11-related PTSD, Manhattan’s District Attorney is still seeking to reclaim $22 million in fraudulent payments. The New York Post reported that several of the accused fraudsters incriminated themselves with audacious social media posts that contradicted their claims of disability. These included: Glen Lieberman […]
Ray Pfeiffer, 9/11 Advocate, RIP
Most of the 9/11 community has already heard the sad news about FDNY Ray Pfeiffer’s passing. For 8 years, Ray, fought a heroic battle against cancers that were linked to the WTC toxic dust. Despite crippling pain, he didn’t let his illnesses stop him from making dozens of trips to Congress, demanding that it pass […]
Feal Good Foundation Supports Injured 9/11 Responders
Demonstrating that good things can come from personal tragedies, injured 9/11 responder John Feal has built a support network to assist fellow responders. As reported on the website dnainfo.com, Feal was a construction supervisor working on recovery efforts at Ground Zero five days after the attack when a huge piece of steel fell and crushed […]
New Jersey Honors State Trooper Who Died from 9/11-related Illness
Last December, flags in New Jersey flew at half-staff to honor the memory of State Trooper Lt. William Fearon, who died at the age of 49 from illness related to toxic exposure at Ground Zero. For weeks after the towers collapsed, Fearon searched for survivors; on and off for the next two years, the trooper […]
