TUCSON, AZ–A recommendation to eliminate the liability of New York City and its contractors from claims arising from cleanup of the World Trade Center site is closer to reality after an federal appeals court's ruling, said the president of a captive insurance company.

In February, Mayor Bloomberg released a health report with recommendations mostly focused on health care issues. The recommendations were made by the World Trade Center Health Panel, a group appointed by the mayor in September 2006 to assess the sufficiency of state and federal resources to address ongoing health needs and to ensure maximum coordination between city agencies.

The report recommends reopening the victim's compensation fund, "and coincident with the reopening, that Congress must eliminate the liability of the city and the contractors from claims arising from work at the World Trade Center site," said Christine LaSala, president and chief executive officer of the WTC Captive Insurance Company, formed to protect the city and its contractors from litigation arising from the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. She spoke at the Captive Insurance Companies Association annual conference here.