The search is to extend beyond World Trade Center site

Search for Human Remains Expanded

On October 27^th, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the search for human remains at and around the World Trade Center site will be expanded following recommendations made in a report from Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) Executive Director Charles Maikish and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner David Burney. Deputy Mayor for Administration Edward Skyler requested the report after more than 100 remains were discovered during an excavation by Consolidated Edison.

"Last week's discovery caused every New Yorker pain, especially those who lost someone close to them during the 9/11 attacks," Bloomberg said in a statement. "I hope that the actions we are taking will assure everyone that we are doing everything in our power to find their friends, colleagues, and loved ones."

The report expands the excavation effort to now include the entire haul road that runs from Vesey to Liberty Streets, an exploration of the 140 Liberty parcel, select subterranean structures, and a thorough sifting of materials on the rooftops of One Liberty Plaza and the Millennium Hotel. While all area roofs had been visually inspected, those two buildings have ballast surfaces, making the visual search inconclusive.

In addition, the 130 Liberty Street building, Fiterman Hall, and 130 Cedar Street will be inspected to ensure that there are no human remains inside those buildings.

Though the report states that the vast majority of the site has been searched thoroughly and is free of human remains, it nonetheless recommends having Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) representatives on site to observe all future construction in areas that have not been excavated since 9/11. The excavations will continue to be coordinated with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey during night hours (10 p.m. to 4 a.m.), and no construction delays are anticipated as a result.

In follow-up to the report, Skyler and two OCME forensic anthropologists answered questions from members of Community Board 1 and the public in a November 13^th World Trade Center committee meeting. Skyler explained that the city is funding the search and analysis, which is expected to last approximately one year. Skyler added, "We'll keep going until there's nothing left to look at."

To read the Mayor's office's press release, click here.

To read the full report from the LMCCC and DCC, click here.