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NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

COVER STORY p E oIFt e j

I reactions and emotions that few would ever associate with tough construction workers—sleepless nights, flashbacks, crying jags. Operator Nolan proudly shows off a poem written by his teenage daughter, Danielle: “Ever since we were little girls, we knew our daddy was our hero, but when the tail towers came down, we knew we had to share our dearest hero.” He worries about the younger workers, but even the Vietnam veterans have PR had difficulties that forced them off the site, at least temporari­ ly. Others try to numb the pain by throwing themselves into the work. “We’re keeping busy with everything so we don’t con- . centrate on what’s here,” says Catanzaro. With the attention of myriad federal, state and city agen- ...... cies on site work, safety has been a key focus. Workers joke about the site’s

Is enforcement legions, particularly the federal safety agency they dubbed “OSHA bin Laden.” Workers used to cheating a bit on safety rules now find B zero tolerance at Ground Zero. While government monitors claim air quality in most areas of the site is relatively nor­ mal, risks grow for those digging deep­ er into the towers’ basement levels. Res­ pirators are a must And despite engi­ neers’ guidance on excavation paths. BIG LIFT Grappler picks up steel debris that will be driven to pier sites for disposal, even they can’t predict everything. De- ' ■ ■ bris is constantly shifting. “The ma- ering the bodies of two comrades immediately after the towers’ chine’s always bouncing around,” says Geary. Even with the best­ collapse. One of them turned out to be a high-ranking fire trained operators on site, he recalls an incident last month when department captain. a machine fell 27 ft. Fortunately, the driver was not injured but Some construction workers grouse about not getting the was “shaken up,” says Geary. same limelight afforded police and fire rescuers, but most sym- Workers seem amazed at how much progress has been made pathize with their emotional task and find intense satisfaction in since Sept 11, with debris mountains reduced to grade, haul helping to bring up remains. “If you could see the faces of the roads ciiscrossing the site, and structures nearly demolished. firemen when we find a body, the uplift is phenomenal,” says Unusually warm, John Kirby, another Local 40 ironworker foreman. Geary rel- sunny weather has 1' ' ** ishes the “closure” for victims’ families. helped, but last For some, the work gets very personal. Regional building weekend brought a trades odicials estimate that as many as 60 union workers died blast of frigid De­ ■ Bn on Sept 11 as they repaired the towers or worked for private ten- cember air thatjolt- f "J ants. Glenn Catan- ed workers into re- ? ■ar h f vMS zaro, a Laborers’ membering the ap- Local 66 foreman, proaching Manhat- i says four laborers tan winter. died. Other work- Even so, iron­ s § ers cite friends workers Mike Emer- among uniformed son and Chris Kaz- | ■umiAi I 'si and civilian casual- imir are part of a r ties. Crane opera- small crew laboring f tor Tom Kelly of 22 floors up on a I I IE s g life I' ■ r ill J Staten Island says chilly Sunday, re- |H he knew nine fire- pairing a multistory men who died, gouge in the nearby BH r j

I - i! ! Others with family American Express SH histories in a craft building caused by L",-- § 1 note the irony of flying debris. The ON EDGE Emerson (left) and Kazimir fix

J § picking up pieces crew is fast-tracking damaged American Express building. of the World Trade repairs under or- I& Center so carefuUy ders fi-om state and city officials to keep AmEx in New York City. I S H — placed by fathers Emerson and Kazimir perch precariously on the edge of steel and grandfathers girders used to brace each damaged floor, wearing respirators decades before. and tied off, but with little else on which to hold. Crew mem- a The difficult mis- bers coordinate movements to prevent getting caught in each 5 sion at Ground other’s harnesses. And the work at Ground Zero goes on. □ I CREW Laborers assist In demolition work. Zero has generated By Debra K. Rubin

32 ENR/DECEMBER 17, 2001

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