|
November 1, 2005A series of complicated conditions continues to surround the upcoming and required demolition of the Deutsche Bank, a large building to the South East of Ground Zero still shrouded in a large black mesh screen to prevent debris and environmentally unstable agents from falling in and around the area. The 57 story building officially at 130 Liberty street has been the object of great concern ever since the impact in the Ground Zero area from the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01 and in its current state, locals have relabeled it "the widow" for its black shroud which viewers say, aptly reminds them of our mourning for all we lost. According to Lore Croghan in the Daily News (9/26/2005):Immediately following the attacks it was placed in the frozen zone surrounding Ground Zero and was cordoned off by guards with guns. Close to the impact zone, the building sustained significant damage and presents an environmental exposure health risk to both rescue and recovery workers who might be asked to look for remains and evidence, to construction workers required to bring it down and to residents of lower Manhattan who will be in the path of the deconstruction debris. As of this date, there has yet to be a floor to floor search for remains of victims and perhaps even the terrorists, themselves, to provide more identifiable DNA for victims families and/or evidence for a criminal investigation of the attacks.The building, was severely damaged by the collapsing towers; steel falling from the south tower was known to have torn a 24 story gash in the face and an infestation of mold from sprinkler systems working to ward off the tower enormous fires, left pools of stagnant water that infiltrated the building making it uninhabitable, as well.Known to be contaminated by other high-risk health impacts like asbestos, lead, dioxins and other toxic particles, a plan to demolish the building and to allow for redevelopment of the area was first not accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency. Residents in the area claim a victory over that refusal as a result of resistance and uproar over concerns about lack of adequate safety to them, for protection from land air and water-borne contaminants when the building comes down. But, economic pressure to rebuild and redevelop, are enormous for the downtown area, and a subsequent plan recently released in early September 2005 received approval from the EPA to the continuing dismay of residents, victims family members, responder community and to environmental watchdogs knowledgeable in the area of contaminants and building demolition.Deutsche, Bank employees relocated immediately to Mid-Town, and the corporation is now under federal pressure as a result of the EPA approval to get the building down.. But, they have been reluctant to start the process of deconstruction of their impacted building. In the Guardian, on June 12, 2002 Oliver Burkeman reported that Deutsch Bank maintains that mould which has infested its walls and ventilation system could be a health hazard, embroiling the company in potential liability slaw suits worth millions of dollars. The concerns, contaminating the Rescue and Recovery workers who would be assigned to go through the building searching for any victim remains or evidence which might remain in the relatively untouched and unsearched building. In February 2002, a demolition plan had been approved; the level of environmental contamination has not been abated, posing the same risks as before.In reports issued by the New York Environmental Law and Justice Project (www.nyenvirolaw.org), a private watchdog law firm who provided counsel to the Uniformed Firefighters Association following 9/11, information regarding the danger of toxicity at 130 Liberty Street supports concerns that residents, family members and responders have. These include exposures from taking the building down without adequate safeguards, potential loss of DNA and body parts for identification of victims and evidence from the crime scene, and long term issues of dispersing toxic materials into the air, land or water and ongoing exposures to residents, workers and visitors to the area.There also remain conflicts over what type of development should replace the shrouded widow and the remaining buildings in the area. Should it be office space as the Governor and NY State and Federal officials are calling for to support an economic revival/expansion of the city or multi-use with a large portion turned over to residential use as advocated by the Mayor Bloomberg and his associates would like.No matter what the final resolution, its current status as a zone for demolition raises the spectre of ongoing health risks adding to the significant burden already placed on 9/11 Rescue and Recovery workers as documented by the Federal Health Registry and as described in the Center for Disease Control report of September 10, 2004.
|
