Do I Qualify for Any Help if I Worked for the Department of Sanitation on or After 9/11?

If you worked for the Department of Sanitation on or after 9/11 and either participated in the recovery efforts or breathed in dust and debris on the job, you may qualify for WTC Health Program. You might also qualify for a payout from the Victim Compensation Fund. Not all DSNY employees fall under the same category, however. The location at which you worked and the duties you performed will determine whether you are eligible for the WTC Health Program as a responder or survivor, and whether you can file a claim with the VCF. Here’s how to figure out which program is for you:

WTC Health Program – Responder Program

DSNY employees will qualify for this program, if they:

• Worked in Manhattan south of Canal Street.
• Transported or processed debris at Fresh Kills or at one of the loading barges parked on the piers
• Worked cleaning and maintaining vehicles contaminated by WTC dust and debris.

People applying for the Responder Program do not need to be symptomatic to enroll. Once enrolled, responders have access to yearly monitoring exams and treatment for their 9/11-related conditions at no out-of-pocket cost.

DSNY employees who worked in lower Manhattan but don’t meet the above criteria may still qualify for the WTC Health Program’s Survivor Program.

WTC Health Program – Survivor Program

DSNY employees qualify for this program, if they:

• Worked in Manhattan south of Houston Street or an area of Brooklyn that is 1.5 miles from the World Trade Center site. (Go to Exposure Zone Map to see a map of this radius.)
• Worked non-recovery and cleanup jobs in the area, including clerical and administrative duties in the DSNY’s garages.

To participate in the survivor program, patients must already be symptomatic or have a 9/11-linked health conditions. Initial screening exams are free of charge. Patients with a WTC Certified Condition are then provided yearly monitoring exams and treatment for their conditions at at no cost.

Victim Compensation Fund

DSNY employees qualify for this program, if they:

• Worked in Manhattan south of Canal Street in any capacity OR worked in any area related to or along the routes of debris removal, such as the debris barges and Fresh Kills landfill.
• Have a certified physical health condition from the WTC Health Program (Responder or survivor program, it doesn’t matter.)

City employees that helped New York recover from 9/11 were exposed to the same toxins as firefighters and police. They too deserve care, and we’re dedicated to making sure they can access it. If you have questions about which program you qualify for or how to apply, get in touch with us.