RELEASE: Gottheimer, Menendez Fighting for New Jersey First Responders Lost from 9/11-Related Illnesses to be Honored at State Memorial
NORTH JERSEY — Today, September 11, 2025, Congressmen Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Rob Menendez (NJ-8) sent a letter calling for the names of New Jersey’s first responders who have died from 9/11-related illnesses to be inscribed on Liberty State Park’s Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial.
The memorial, completed in 2011, currently does not include the names of New Jersey’s first responders who have died from 9/11-related illnesses. Nearly 750 Jersey residents died from the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including 147 residents from Bergen County. Since then, more than 8,215 first responders and others who were in and around the World Trade Center have tragically died from toxic exposure.
“In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many New Jersey first responders were exposed to undetected toxins while assisting in emergency response efforts at Ground Zero. These brave first responders risked everything at the World Trade Center, only to endure immense suffering caused by toxic exposure for the rest of their lives, before ultimately succumbing to fatal illnesses,” the Members wrote in a letter to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
“These fallen heroes paid the ultimate price in service of others, and their loved ones and colleagues deserve a place to reflect, grieve, and honor their memory. We must ensure that the sacrifice of every single first responder is recognized so that their legacies will live on,” the Members continued.
Full text of the letter sent to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection can be found here and below:
Dear Commissioner LaTourette and Assistant Commissioner Cecil:
We are writing to request that you consider inscribing the names of New Jersey’s hero first responders who have died from 9/11-related illnesses on Liberty State Park’s Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial. Since the memorial’s completion in 2011, not a single New Jersey first responder who has died from 9/11-related illnesses has been included. This exclusion fails to acknowledge 9/11’s lasting impact and the many lives it continues to claim.
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many New Jersey first responders were exposed to undetected toxins while assisting in emergency response efforts at Ground Zero. These brave first responders risked everything at the World Trade Center, only to endure immense suffering caused by toxic exposure for the rest of their lives, before ultimately succumbing to fatal illnesses.
These fallen heroes paid the ultimate price in service of others, and their loved ones and colleagues deserve a place to reflect, grieve, and honor their memory. We must ensure that the sacrifice of every single first responder is recognized so that their legacies will live on. I urge you to take all the necessary steps to ensure their names are added to Liberty State Park’s Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial, so that we may never forget.
Thank you and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
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