Former New York Governor George Pataki revealed Sunday that he suffers from restrictive airway disease linked to his exposure to toxic dust at Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Pataki, a Republican who served as governor from 1995 to 2006, told the New York Post in an exclusive interview that he received the diagnosis within the past five years. He described the condition as a minor residual impact from the time he spent at the site of the destroyed World Trade Center towers.

“I just look at it as I’m one of the lucky ones,” Pataki said. “You know, 25 years later, I feel great. I have this minor residual impact from that time. But compared to so many others, I consider myself very lucky.”

Pataki emphasized that many individuals who worked at Ground Zero for months afterward have faced far more serious illnesses, including cancers, than the one he is experiencing. He noted that he has not been diagnosed with any cancer related to the exposure.

The disclosure comes just days before the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. Pataki was a prominent presence at the site in the days and months following the attacks as he led the state through the crisis and its aftermath.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, also a Republican, has similarly been diagnosed with restrictive airway disease. A representative for Giuliani confirmed the condition after the former mayor was hospitalized earlier this year with pneumonia.

Pataki’s comments align with ongoing reports of health effects among responders and others exposed to the toxic dust at the site. Thousands have enrolled in federal health programs established to address such conditions in the years since the attacks.