DEP memo on vehicle release from Ground Zero, January 24,

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document 1-24-02;12:30PM;Nve Law Department ; 12123618765 # 10/ 55 JflN-22-2002 09=40 □SEP UNIT RM. 7345 202 324 9235 P.06/43 Industrial Hygiene Survey Federal Bureau of Investigation, Staten Island, NY ■

2.0 Background

The Staten Island landfill project involves recovery of evidence from building debris, which resulted from the collapse of the world trade center building complex, including the twin towers and buildings 6 and 7. The buildings were constructed of cement, steel, glass, gypsum wallboard, acoustical tile ceilings, sprayed-on insulation (asbestos-containing and non-asbestos types) and contained wood, plastic and metal furniture, computers and fixtures and paper products. Most of these materials were either physi^G^Sestroyed (compressed, pulverized) or burned in the collapse of the building. This process i^^se to particulate matter ranging from a very fine dust to larger sized, quicker settling particles. The project involves inspection of the building debris for evidence. The building materials were transported to the landfill where the material is dumped, sorted, and carefully inspected. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) and Federal law enforcement agents conduct the inspections. New York City Sanitation workers and contractors hired by the City of New York operate the heavy equipment.

The following is a brief outline of the operation is provided below. The processing of the debris evolved over the course of the project. In the early stages almost all screening of debris was done manually. The building debris arrives at the site either by barge or truck. The debris is dumped in designated area at the landfill where the steel beams and columns are immediately segregated and the large debris is screened out.

Manual screening of debris Debris from the WTC site is dumped onto the debris field either by trucks or payloaders. Law enforcement personnel sort through the debris using rakes, and hoes. After sifting through the material the workers move out of the debris field to the perimeter, and the payloaders remove the debris. During the winter months the debris fields put under a large temporary enclosure. Two sides and the roof are enclosed. Prior to November 2001, the manual screening of the debris was done in the open air.

Screening Machines As of November 2001 almost all sorting of debris is done on screening machines. As of November there are four screening machines at the site. Payloaders are used to dump debris into a hopper on the screening machine and the material is screened onto two conveyors, which receive debris of large and small size respectively. Law enforcement personnel, stationed along each conveyer, visual inspect the debris and remove evidence. In December each of the screeners was enclosed in plastic sheeting on a tube frame.

In the early phases of the project the work was conducted around the clock, seven days a week. Each Federal worker was on site for an eight-hour shift, which includes a lunch break. .NYPD worked a 12-hour shift. As of December, the facility operated from 6 AM to 8 PM and all shifts were eight hours. The Federal law enforcement workers work two shifts including 6 AM to 2 PM and 12 noon to 8 PM. There are generally eight to twelve FBI employees searching debris on any given shift. On most days there are usually four US Customs employees searching debris on each shift. On some days there have also been law enforcement employees from the US Secret Service and from the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). Personal sampling has been

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