Overview

New York City’s September 11th records

On September 8, 2026, the City of New York opened the September 11th Document Portal under a stipulation and order of settlement with 9/11 Health Watch, in two Article 78 proceedings before Justice James G. Clynes Stipulation and Order. The records are scanned PDFs, Bates-numbered on every page, with no titles and no dates. A Department of Investigation inquiry ordered by the City Council runs alongside the release and reports in July 2027.

Purpose

This toolkit was built so that New Yorkers, first responders, survivors and their families can read what the City’s records show about the air in Lower Manhattan after September 11, 2001. It also lets them check what the City has committed to in releasing those records. The official directory lists the records that prove presence for care and compensation, and who issues them.

• September 18, 2001, EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman: their air is safe to breath EPA release, 2001-09-18 (as published)
• August 21, 2003, EPA’s Office of Inspector General, on that statement: the Agency did not have sufficient data and analyses to make the statement EPA OIG report 2003-P-00012
• October 2001, memo to Deputy Mayor Robert Harding, among the potential lawsuits it lists: Health advisories caused individuals either to return to the area too soon NYC-WTC_000138296 · p.1
• February 28, 2002, memo from Special Advisor Ester Fuchs, on the real health risks in lower Manhattan NYC-WTC_000147320 · p.2
• As of June 30, 2026, 145,275 members were enrolled in the WTC Health Program CDC quarterly summary, 2026-06-30, p.5
• As of the same date, lifetime cancer certifications in the Program totaled 57,044 CDC quarterly summary, 2026-06-30, p.23

The commitments, as stated

Quoted from the stipulation, the resolution, the September 8 transcript and release, and the Department of Investigation’s letters and page. Each quote opens its source.

The stipulation, so-ordered September 2026

• the City intends to launch the September 11th Public Records Portal with the goal of making publicly available Stipulation and Order, p.3
• the records sought under FOIL and as many other records of public interest and importance Stipulation and Order, p.3
• Monthly meetings: the City's Law Department agrees to meet monthly with Petitioner and his attorneys Stipulation and Order
• A privilege log, which log shall also be posted on the portal Stipulation and Order
• The Harding memo under a tab entitled "Documents of Interest" Stipulation and Order
• Personnel: designating personnel at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services Stipulation and Order, p.3
• The DOI inquiry: honoring the independence of the DOI’s inquiry under Resolution 560-A, cooperating with it fully and transparently Stipulation and Order, p.3
• After twelve months the proceedings are dismissed with prejudice Stipulation and Order, p.5

Council Resolution 560-A, adopted July 14, 2025

• DOI is directed to ascertain the knowledge possessed by mayoral administrations on environmental toxins produced by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks Res. 560-A
• The Council acted pursuant to section 803 of the New York City Charter Res. 560-A
• Written updates No later than June 30 and December 31 of each year Res. 560-A
• The report must include A timeline of when mayoral administrations became aware of these toxins Res. 560-A
• and An analysis of the contrast between the knowledge mayoral administrations possessed on these toxins and the information the administrations conveyed to the public Res. 560-A

The announcement of September 8, 2026

• Corporation Counsel Steven Banks: For too long, information about the aftermath of Sept. 11 has not been provided to the public. Transcript, 2026-09-08
• On the 68 boxes: New Yorkers have a right to know what is in those boxes Transcript, 2026-09-08
• On the rollout: documents rolling out over the course of the next 12 months Transcript, 2026-09-08
• On the agreed search terms, the City will be posting what those terms are on the portal Transcript, 2026-09-08
• Mayor Zohran Mamdani: City Hall has made a more than $34 million commitment to create a new public portal Transcript, 2026-09-08
• On what is withheld: The only information omitted will be personally identifiable information and security evaluations of Lower Manhattan buildings Transcript, 2026-09-08
• Nothing else will be redacted. Transcript, 2026-09-08
• The Mayor’s Office release: The portal will be updated regularly as the Law Department reviews additional City records over the next 12 months Mayor’s Office release
• and the administration will appoint dedicated personnel at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) to coordinate the retrieval of records Mayor’s Office release

The Department of Investigation’s account

• December 31, 2025, DOI reported requesting a total of over $3 million over two fiscal years DOI letter, 2025-12-31, p.2
• and the request is not yet approved DOI letter, 2025-12-31, p.2
• June 29, 2026: DOI requested a total of $4 million over the course of two fiscal years to hire a third-party firm DOI letter, 2026-06-29, p.2
• OMB has not yet approved DOI’s request DOI letter, 2026-06-29, p.2
• DOI has selected a team consisting of two firms to assist in the Investigation DOI letter, 2026-06-29, p.2
• DOI’s investigation page: In June 2026, the City allocated $3.81 million over fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to fund this investigative firm DOI, 9/11 investigation page
• DOI is currently in the procurement process to hire that firm. DOI, 9/11 investigation page
• DOI will also produce a public report at the conclusion of its investigation. DOI, 9/11 investigation page

Announced commitments

The three commitments were announced separately and cover different fiscal periods. An announcement records a promise; the ledger follows each one through appropriation, contract, payment and delivery.

Obligations

What the settlement and Resolution 560-A require, and what was observed on a public surface on the date checked. Whether the City has complied is for the court to decide; it keeps jurisdiction until September 2027.

The rows are in scorecard.json, which the MCP serves as the doi_milestones tool.

The release watchdog

The portal’s Update History lists additions by agency portal, Update History. The watchdog records every document in the catalog. Each run makes one export, stores it unchanged and compares it only with an earlier accepted capture. A document present in one capture and absent from a later one is recorded as absent. The capture does not show whether it was removed, replaced or withheld.

Written by the watchdog script (scripts/watchdog.py). A capture that shrinks unexpectedly, arrives malformed, or repeats a document ID is held for review instead of published, and the pointer keeps the last good record.

The toolkit

• MCP server. The server offers ten read-only tools over the portal’s records. A call reads local captures and returns page text verbatim. The MCP ↗
• Examples. Four demos use the same data, and each names the tools it would call. Examples ↗
• Records. The documents located so far are listed with the quote and the Bates page for each. Records ↗