Fight under way over Sept. 11 payments

NEW YORK, April 13 (UPI) -- New York City is fighting Ground Zero contractors' claims the city is responsible for compensating ailing Sept. 11 workers, a city official says.

New York City Law Department spokeswoman Connie Pankratz said the city should not be liable to make compensatory payments to those cleanup workers as the contractors have claimed, the New York Post reported Sunday.

"The statute, legislative history and prior court decisions make clear that the cap applies to debris-removal cases," Pankratz said.

The contractors allege the city has no financial cap regarding such liability claims and have taken their argument to court.

In related court papers, the Ground Zero cleanup groups cite the $1 billion given to the city by Congress for insurance covering the major cleanup effort.

Lawyers for New York City firefighters, police officers and other Ground Zero workers suing for compensation have sided with contractors and are seeking a quick resolution to their suit, the Post said.