House Dem asks EPA to test for mold, toxins from Sandy

A House Democrat is pushing federal officials to test for mold and environmental toxins in areas hit by Superstorm Sandy.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who represents parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to "conduct or oversee comprehensive testing" to ensure that homes are "safe to inhabit" after massive floods.

"Given New York’s recent history with environmental hazards caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center, we know all too well the danger presented by indoor contamination," Nadler wrote to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. 

"We must not repeat the same mistakes of 9/11 by leaving people to their own devices to clean up complex toxins without proper guidance or assistance from the federal government."

A parallel letter also went to Craig Fugate, chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, on Tuesday.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has asked the federal government for tens of billions of dollars to aid in clean up for the storm, which hit his state on Oct. 29.

He and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) have met with the state's congressional delegation to discuss the lobbying effort.

"Hurricane Katrina, in many ways, was not as impactful as Hurricane Sandy, believe it or not," Cuomo said Monday in a comment that has caused controversy.

"Because of the density of New York, the number of people affected, the number of properties affected was much larger in Hurricane Sandy than Hurricane Katrina. That puts the entire conversation, I believe, into focus."

Sandy, one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history, affected millions of people.

Among the environmental toxins present in storm-damaged areas are mold, which exacerbates respiratory conditions such as asthma and can lead to chemical emissions as it breaks down building materials.

Floodwaters in Brooklyn were also known to contain oil, raw sewage and industrial chemicals, posing a range of health risks to local residents.

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