Newsday

In a letter to Lower Manhattan Development Corp. president David Emil, EPA regional administrator Alan J. Steinberg rejected the agency's proposal to "revisit abatement procedures" after the Aug. 18 blaze at the former Deutsche Bank tower.

The LMDC, which owns the building, has met throughout the week with the Fire Department, contractors and city officials about a new cleanup and demolition plan, following the deaths earlier this month of two firefighters. Some measures under consideration include widening the building's stairwells and relocating some decontamination areas on floors with debris.

Steinberg said the LMDC's proposal at a Wednesday meeting with EPA and other regulators was "unacceptable."

"As EPA has previously stated to you in writing, safeguards for the prevention of releases into the environment of such hazardous substances and contaminants during the abatement and deconstruction process must be employed to prevent a situation that may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and the environment," Steinberg wrote.

The 15 contaminated floors remaining have polyurethane protective coverings keeping asbestos and other debris from escaping the building. Other measures approved by several environmental regulators, including the EPA, also are in place.

Fire officials and safety experts have said some of the measures created a maze for firefighters fighting the flames and a negative air pressure system that pushed the blaze downward, posing more dangers.

Earlier this week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke of new protocols the city is developing separately "which balances the two public safety priorities: the safety of first responders and the containment of any environmental hazards at the site."

The LMDC said on Thursday that no new plan has been decided on, but "it will first and foremost assess and address all potential risks to those who live and work near the building, first responders and others."