NYC-WTC_000152373

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

it could take J year to get site cleared By DAVE GOLDINER OAliy NEWS STAFF WRITER The World Trade Center cleanup will take up to a year, twice as long as previously thought, Mayor Giuliani said yesterday. “The amount of time they need to remove and clear the The wrenching succession of site will range anywhere from funerals and wakes continued nine months to one year,” he around the region, with at least told a news conference. 16 more funerals or memorial Clearing surface debris from services schediiled for today. the estimated 1.2 million tons of Giuliani praised suburban resi­ rubble will take months. dents for turning out in force to But the mayor said that will be honor those who died in the at­ child’s play compared with the tacks. task of pulling heavy steel “It was very comforting to the beams from the llO-story tow­ families to be able to see thou- ers that were rammed deep into sands of people showmg up out subway tunnels and bedrock. of respect for their loved ones,” So far, 133,024 tons of debris he said. have been removed in 8,977 Downtown, economic havoc truckloads, Giuliani said. was apparent. Metal theft probe Court, business dosed In another development. Po­ Along with businesses and res­ lice Commissioner Bernard taurants, the disaster forced the Kerik said a grand jury investiga­ indefinite closing of the Depart­ tion has begun into possible Ma­ ment of Motor Vehicles traffic fia involvement in the theft of court on Rector St. 250 tons of scrap metal from the The cases have been delayed, twin towers site. forcing lawyer Jeffrey Levine to Organized crime investigators lay off two office workers in his are looking into three sites practice. where the metal was taken — “The little people are being two in New Jersey and one on hurt, not just the Wall Street peo­ Long Island, Kerik said. ple,” said Pamela Smith, an of­ The evidence has been turned fice administrator for Levine. over to the Manhattan district at­ She is now working part-time. torney. Abby Lydon and her husband Officials said the count of the live in Battery Park City, send missing in the World Trade Cen­ their child to Public School 234 ter now stands at 5,960. on Greenwich Ave. and own Mo­ Relatives have applied for 565 ran’s, an Irish restaurant on Rec­ death certificates, and 306 bod­ tor St. ies or parts of bodies have been The landmark restaurant sits recovered. in the Red Zone —where down­ The observation deck on the town streets are closed off — 86th floor of the Empire State and customers have no way to Building, closed since the terror get to it. The family is living in a attacks Sept. 11, is scheduled to hotel. PS 234 remains closed. reopen today. “Our whole life is down here A telephoned bomb threat and everything is up in the air,” forced the evacuation of the Lydon said. “We have to start all landmark building and sur­ over, and^^m not surejjpa^ rounding blocks yesterday, but the call proved unfounded.

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