9/11 caused one of the worst environmental disasters in US history, releasing thousands of toxic contaminants into the air as the fires burned for over three months. Yet the US Environmental Protection Agency consistently reassured residents, school children and office workers, "The air is safe to breathe," Thus, as of the fifteenth anniversary of the attacks, there have been 37,000 documented illnesses and over 1000 deaths. Many more are expected. . Ground Zero Wars tells the story of the independent scientists, whistle-blowers and activists who, along with a unique Congressman, uncovered and testified to the truth. Semi-finalist out of almost a thousand entries to the North Street competition for self-published books. ...with the Environmental Protection Agency and city officials denying that there was any health risk from the ubiquitous dust that permeated Downtown, the Department of Education decided to resume classes at the elite high school just a month later -- while the rubble of Ground Zero still smoldered.Orkin didn't believe the reassurances, but she struggled in the face of government denials and misinformation to convince her son that it was dangerous to be so close to Ground Zero. She was eventually proved right -... Orkin chronicles her fight in "Ground Zero Wars: The Fight to Reveal the Lies of the EPA in the Wake of 9/11 and Clean Up Lower Manhattan." In her book, Orkin recounts the very personal story of how she and other local activists had to fight the government to uncover the actual dangers of living and working around Ground Zero in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. After a decade, the public can clearly see the impact on the recovery workers and neighbors, but Orkin said scientists had long been warning of the "extraordinary" levels of contaminants at Ground Zero, but their voices were initially drowned out by a concerted campaign of government disinformation, which she thinks is a lesson to remember in an era of fake news and false narratives. "There's a bigger underlying message. This is only one tragedy, but it's emblematic of the general modus operandi of the government," Orkin said. "You have to do your own research and have to be on site yourself. You'll never get the real picture otherwise." Downtown Express, The Villager... Jenna Orkin is a writer and journalist whose short film, EnGaged: Carolyn Gage On Stage and Off, has received a Top Indie Film as well as an LA Shorts Film award.