More people have died from 9/11-related health conditions than from the terrorist attacks themselves—over 2,600 deaths—yet city officials assured the public the air was safe to breathe just weeks after the towers fell. Newly released documents reveal officials knew the air contained dangerous levels of asbestos and carcinogens but prioritized economic recovery over public health warnings. City officials including Mayor Giuliani and Bloomberg provided public assurances that air around Ground Zero was safe despite internal air quality reports showing elevated levels of asbestos and benzene, a known carcinogen.