NYC Sanitation Pays Tribute to the More Than 150 Members of New York's Strongest Who Have Died of 9/11-Related Illnesses

September 11, 2026

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11, DSNY unveiled a new memorial on the façade of Spring Street garage overlooking One World Trade Center

Spring Street Salt Shed illuminated with a visual tribute through sunrise on September 14th

DSNY to screen a new documentary film on Sept. 24 recognizing the contributions of New York's Strongest to 9/11 recovery efforts

To honor the more than 150 Department of Sanitation employees who have died of illnesses related to their work following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, DSNY leadership, staff, retirees and family members gathered Friday afternoon in Lower Manhattan for the Department's annual Reading of the Names ceremony. This year's ceremony included the dedication of a new public memorial plaque bearing the names of those who have died on the facade of the Spring Street Garage overlooking One World Trade Center.

In addition, to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the years-long recovery that followed, DSNY has illuminated its iconic Spring Street Salt Shed with a visual tribute (video, photos) highlighting the contributions of New York's Strongest to cleanup and recovery efforts both in Lower Manhattan and at Fresh Kills.

DSNY will also premiere a new documentary film on September 24th at Cooper Union featuring archival footage and interviews with Sanitation members detailing the Department's efforts to clean up Lower Manhattan in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, to support rescue, recovery and debris removal efforts at Ground Zero, and to perform the solemn task of screening debris from the attacks for human remains, personal effects and other evidence before its final disposition.

"When the Twin Towers fell and our city was buried in dust and debris, Sanitation workers showed up. For nine months, they cleared 1.6 million tons of material from Lower Manhattan, sifting through the wreckage left behind by the deadliest terror attack in our city's history," said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. "That service came at a profound cost. More than 150 Sanitation workers have died from 9/11-related illnesses. As we mark 25 years since that terrible day, we mourn those we have lost and reaffirm our commitment to the workers who put their lives on the line to care for this city. We will never forget their service."

"Every moment of work, every moment spent cleaning streets and loading barges, is an example of this agency's heroism and the determination that drives New York's Strongest," said Julia Kerson, New York City Deputy Mayor for Operations. "This selflessness has not been without consequences. And today, we solemnly remember the more than 150 members of the Department of Sanitation we have lost from 9/11 health issues. As we mark 25 years, we honor their bravery and vow to continue supporting the city they selflessly served,"

"Within hours of the attacks on September 11, more than 1,500 Sanitation workers began cleanup efforts in Lower Manhattan and removing debris at Ground Zero," said Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson. "Many of these men and women worked 12-hour shifts for weeks without a single day off. At the time, the Department considered itself fortunate not to have lost any employees, not knowing that the dust and debris in which they worked would cause illnesses and deaths in the years to come. To date, more than 150 DSNY employees have died of illnesses related to their service after 9/11, including one who died last Saturday. It is an honor to pay tribute to them with a lasting, public memorial to their sacrifices." 

"I remember looking up at burning buildings," said Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association Local 831 President Dennis Schock. "The destruction afterward was something I could never fathom. Our prayers go out to each and every family member who made the ultimate sacrifice. With humble praise we thank you. The Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association will always remember you."

"For families that are here you know all too well these are not easy deaths," said former Sanitation Commissioner Edward Grayson.  "They are long fights, fighting for health, fighting for care, fighting for dignity, fighting for survival. The names you hear today are heroes. They are not heroes because of how they died. They are heroes because of how they lived. We will always remember. Never forget."

In addition to removing 3.2 billion pounds of debris from the World Trade Center site in the months following the attacks, Sanitation also provided fuel for all vehicles working at Ground Zero, cleaned the streets and washed away dust throughout Lower Manhattan, and even removed rotting food from abandoned homes and restaurants in the days following the attacks – all while continuing to pick up the trash every single day from every neighborhood across the five boroughs. The Department's work at Ground Zero continued until June 7, 2002.

Much of the material removed from the site was carefully placed onto barges and sent across the harbor to Fresh Kills. There, a forensic team that included NYPD and the FBI sifted every piece of material through a quarter-inch mesh sieve. Working together, this team helped to identify and recover more than 54,000 personal items and the remains of more than 300 victims of the attacks. DSNY's work assisting in the largest crime scene investigation in history continued until July 26, 2002.

Five years ago, DSNY dedicated its first memorial to the employees who had died of 9/11-related illnesses, with a plaque bearing the names in the lobby of the Department's headquarters at 125 Worth Street. But tragically, that initial memorial quickly became too small to list the growing number of men and women who have died of 9/11-related illnesses. Today, the Department unveiled a new memorial on the façade of DSNY's Spring Street garage.

In addition, every night this week, through daybreak next Monday, September 14th, DSNY is projecting stories and images about its work at Ground Zero and Fresh Kills onto the Spring Street Salt Shed along with the messages "We Were There" and "Never Forget."

Finally, on Thursday, September 24, DSNY will premiere at Cooper Union a new documentary about DSNY's post-9/11 work. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion.

These tributes honor the DSNY employees who served in the aftermath of the attacks and share the story of their months of work at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills and across the city. Learn more about that event at on.nyc.gov/DSNY9-11.

B-roll available.
Full video will be at youtube.com/@NYCSanitation/videos.

Press Release #26-39