N.J. lawmakers call for 9/11-related first responders’ names to be added to Liberty State Park memorial
NEW JERSEY — Two New Jersey congressmen are calling for the names of first responders who have died from 9/11-related illnesses to be added to the state’s Empty Sky Memorial at Liberty State Park.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Rob Menendez, D-N.J., sent a letter Thursday to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection urging the change. The memorial, completed in 2011, currently honors the nearly 750 New Jersey residents killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including 147 from Bergen County, but does not list first responders who later died from toxic exposure.
Since the attacks, more than 8,215 first responders and others who were in and around the World Trade Center have died as a result of exposure to hazardous materials, according to federal data.
“In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many New Jersey first responders were exposed to undetected toxins while assisting in emergency response efforts at Ground Zero. These brave first responders risked everything at the World Trade Center, only to endure immense suffering caused by toxic exposure for the rest of their lives, before ultimately succumbing to fatal illnesses,” the members wrote.
“These fallen heroes paid the ultimate price in service of others, and their loved ones and colleagues deserve a place to reflect, grieve, and honor their memory. We must ensure that the sacrifice of every single first responder is recognized so that their legacies will live on,” the letter continued.
