New York City Mayor Mamdani announced on September 8 that the city government has launched the first 9/11 Archives Public Website, releasing an initial batch of approximately 170,000 pages of documents related to air quality post-attacks, health issues, and the city’s post-disaster response measures.
The initial data includes the Harding Memo, the “68 Boxes” files, and records related to World Trade Center Building 7. Despite numerous requests under the Freedom of Information Act, the city government had been unable to locate the “68 Boxes” files until they were found in 2025.
The “68 Boxes” files consist of 68 boxes, with an estimated 340,000 pages of post-9/11 environmental and pollution monitoring files held by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. These documents record data on toxic substances and carcinogens around the Ground Zero site after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
For many years, first responders, survivors, elected officials, and families of those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses have been demanding the city government to disclose related information. The city government allocated $34 million in its 2027 budget for the establishment and maintenance of this website.
The Legal Department of the city government stated that it has confirmed with the advocacy group “9/11 Health Watch” the various documents the organization has requested to obtain, which have been included in the initial release of data; any personally identifiable information has been redacted. Over the next 12 months, the Legal Department will continue to review city government files, and the website will be regularly updated with more documents expected to be made public.
The city government will also assign dedicated personnel in municipal agencies and the New York City public school system to assist residents in accessing records that can prove their presence in the “New York City Exposure Zone” for applying to the World Trade Center Health Program and the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
Simultaneously with the release of the documents, the city government reached a settlement with “9/11 Health Watch” regarding two lawsuits demanding relevant city government data, ending years of legal disputes.
Mamdani stated that families, survivors, and first responders affected by the attacks deserve transparency and should not have to tirelessly campaign to obtain files that should have been made public.
9/11 Archives Website: nyc.gov/sept11docs