When Mayor Zohran Mamdani released his budget last month, it appeared he might answer a quarter-century-old question.

It’s a Sept. 11 question mayors before him either ignored or refused to address, even as thousands of first responders and others who breathed in the lethal dust from the twisted steel and hazardous debris after the terrorist attacks have grown ill — and died.

What did New York City officials know about the toxicity of the air — and when did they know it?

Last month, Mamdani and the City Council allocated $34.2 million for a public portal to access digitalized documents regarding Sept. 11 health risks. Plus, they set aside $4 million for a city Department of Investigation inquiry and report.

“For too long, New Yorkers who have become sick have had to fight for information that should have been theirs from the very beginning,” Mamdani said. “We will provide the transparency that New Yorkers living with post-9/11 health concerns deserve.”

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