9/11 Environmental Action is an organization which works to call attention to the health risks from the debris and dust of the September 11, 2001 (“9/11”) World Trade Center terrorist attacks in New York City, New York. They also advocate for what they call a proper clean up and for healthcare for survivors and rescue workers.¹ Its current director is Kimberly Flynn, a donor to a number of left-wing candidates and political organizations, and the group has worked with left-wing community organizing groups to advance its agenda.

9/11 Environmental Action is organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Currently, it works to promote various federal government health programs for survivors of 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Organizational Overview

9/11 Environmental Action is a New York-based non-profit. It currently has a staff of three and works out of an apartment in downtown New York City.² It has a Brooklyn mailing address.

According to the group’s latest Form 990 tax filing from 2015, the group received $387,642 in revenue. It reports that all of the revenue came from government grants. The organization spent $324,816 in expenses, $217,740 of it spent on outreach efforts. Its director, Kimberly Flynn, made $87,269 in salary and other compensation.

In the past, the group has worked with the now-defunct group Beyond Ground Zero, a coalition of left-wing groups who were organizing low income and immigrant residents of lower Manhattan. The two groups published a health study through the Urban Justice Center that documented alleged health problems the residents of lower Manhattan suffered as a result of the attack. ³The groups pushed for more aid and healthcare for those effected by the attacks.

History

9/11 Environmental Action was founded in April 2002, months after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Kimberly Flynn, who currently serves as director, was one of the co-founders. The group was founded by survivors, residents, and students who were directly affected by the 9/11 attacks.⁴

The group campaigned for a comprehensive federal healthcare plan for survivors of the attacks. It joined with other groups and labor unions to reject two cleanup plans offered by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2005 and 2006.⁵ Meanwhile, it successfully lobbied New York City for a healthcare program for survivors.⁶

In 2010, 9/11 Environmental Action helped secure passage of the Zadroga Act in the U.S. Congress. It set aside $1.5 billion to cover the health care costs associated with the attack and its aftermath.⁷ In July 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created the WTC Health Program to administer the fund.⁸ It pays for healthcare for injuries and illnesses related to the attack and its aftermath.

Programs

The group primarily works to spread awareness of benefits available to 9/11 survivors. It does this by maintaining a website, advocating on social media, and holding public meetings⁹. The social media accounts these days post 9/11-related news and articles and retweet and repost from the WTC Health Program’s social media.

It also serves on New York City Health & Hospital’s WTC Survivor’s Steering Committee. It advises the WTC Environmental Health Center on how to treat survivors of the attack.¹⁰

People

Director

9/11 Environmental Action director and co-founder Kimberly Flynn has a history of donating to numerous left-of-center candidates and PACs. In the 2016 presidential election, she supported self-described socialist and Democratic Party presidential candidate U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).¹¹ The donations are largely small dollar amounts and mostly donated through the left-wing PAC ActBlue.¹² Flynn has also donated to MoveOn.org and EMILY’s List.¹³ In 2018, she donated to the campaign of New York Assemblyman Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan), who was backed by the Sanders-associated Our Revolution agitation group.¹⁴

Communications Director

9/11 Environmental Action communications director Mary Perillo also supported Sen. Sanders, and has donated small dollar amounts to various left-wing candidates.¹⁵  Neither Perillo nor Flynn have donated to any identified Republican candidates.

1. “About Us.” About Us. Accessed June 22, 2018. https://911ea.org/about-us/.
2. Egbert, Bill. 2016. “Still Fighting For Downtown’S 9/11 Survivors”. Downtown Express. http://www.downtownexpress.com/2016/01/14/still-fighting-for-downtowns-911-survivors/.
3.      Environmental Action, 9/11, and Beyond Ground Zero. 2009. We Count! Documenting The 9/11 Health Crisis 8 Years Later. Ebook. 1st ed. New York City: Urban Justice Center. https://cdp.urbanjustice.org/sites/default/files/wecount_sept09.pdf.
4. Environmental Action, 9/11, and Beyond Ground Zero. 2009. We Count! Documenting The 9/11 Health Crisis 8 Years Later. Ebook. 1st ed. New York City: Urban Justice Center. https://cdp.urbanjustice.org/sites/default/files/wecount_sept09.pdf.
5. “Press Release: World Trade Center Community-Labor Coalition Condemns EPA’s Fatally Flawed Test And Clean Program For 9/11 Contamination – AALDEF”. 2006. Asian-American Legal Defense And Education Fund. http://aaldef.org/press-releases/press-release/world-trade-center-community-labor-coalition.html.
6. McFarlane, Skye. 2007. “City Expands 9/11 Health Program For Residents And Workers”. Downtown Express. http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_229/cityexpands911.html.
7. Smith, Aaron. 2011. “The 9/11 Fund: Putting A Price On Life”. CNN Money. http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/06/news/economy/911_compensation_fund/index.htm.
8. “History”. 2018. WTC Health Program. Accessed June 22. https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/history.html.
9.       Mascali, Nikki. 2018. “Advocates Raise Awareness For Victims Of 9/11 Related Illnesses”. Metro.Us. https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/new-york/advocates-raise-awareness-victims-911-related-illnesses.
10. “Survivors Steering Committee”. 2018. NYC Health And Hospitals. Accessed June 22. https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/survivors-steering-committee/.
11.         Federal Election Commission “Browse Individual Contributions – FEC.Gov”. 2018. Federal Election Commission. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2016&contributor_name=Kimberly+Flynn&min_date=01%2F01%2F2015&max_date=12%2F31%2F2016.
12. Federal Election Commission “Browse Individual Contributions – FEC.Gov”. 2018. Federal Election Commission. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2018&contributor_name=Kimberly+Flynn&min_date=01%2F01%2F2017&max_date=12%2F31%2F2018.
13. Federal Election Commission “Browse Individual Contributions – FEC.Gov”. 2018. Federal Election Commission. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2012&contributor_name=Kimberly+Flynn&min_date=01%2F01%2F2011&max_date=12%2F31%2F2012.
14. “Harvey Epstein”. 2018. Our Revolution. Accessed June 22. https://ourrevolution.com/candidates/harvey-epstein/.
15. Federal Election Commission “Browse Individual Contributions – FEC.Gov”. 2018. Federal Election Commission. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2016&contributor_name=Mary+Perillo&min_date=01%2F01%2F2015&max_date=12%2F31%2F2016.