Days before the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, New York City has reportedly published a number of previously withheld records suggesting officials misled the public about dangerous air quality in the aftermath of the atrocity.At a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled some 170,000 pages relating to health concerns following the collapse of the Twin Towers, Al Jazeera reported.Mamdani said the release would finally bring “accountability” that New Yorkers had long been denied, arguing that “people got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air.”Among the papers is the “Harding Memo”, which was sent in October 2001 to then-deputy mayor Robert Harding, which anticipated thousands of lawsuits over “toxic exposure” and set out ways the city might limit its liability.According to the BBC, the memo warned the city could face as many as 35,000 legal claims, partly because health advisories had prompted people to return to the area too soon, risking “toxic exposure or emotional harm.”A separate 2002 memo showed officials feared criticism from Congressman Jerry Nadler over asbestos levels could cause a public relations crisis. The BBC reported that this memo, attributed to adviser Ester Fuchs, referenced testimony from the city’s health chief claiming no elevated indoor asbestos, even though dust samples showed low levels of the carcinogen.Residents were reportedly told to clean debris with “wet mops and rags,” despite guidance that asbestos should only be handled by licensed professionals.Tuesday’s document release also resolves a litigation brought by advocacy group 9/11 Health Watch. The group’s director, Benjamin Chevat, said four mayoral administrations had withheld the truth for 25 years while insisting the air was “safe and acceptable”.Comedian and long-time advocate Jon Stewart, who appeared alongside Mamdani, said the disclosure was essential even though it could not change past outcomes.According to reports, employees and residents were allowed to return to nearby buildings within weeks of the collapse, as thousands of police officers, construction workers, and firefighters worked in the soot, often reportedly without proper protection.