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With the scribble of a pen last Friday, President Bush signed into law a bill that would implement the remaining recommendations of the 9/11 commission report. It was a victory for victims' family members who have pushed vehemently for national security reforms after the catatsrophic events of September 11.
But those family members aren't done pushing, not by a long shot. Instead, they will turn their focus to a host of other outstanding issues revolving around the worst terrorist attack in the country's history.
"I think when you are affected by terrorism, there is certainly never clsoure," said Mary Fetchet, who lost a son at the World Trade Center. "So many of these issues are never resolved."
When the twin towers crashed into the streets of Lowre Manhattan, 2,749 were killed and 292 bodies were recovered. No remains at all were found for more than 1,000 victims. Some remains have been recovered for others. Six years later, the issue of remains is still an emotional one for families. And remains of the dead are still being unearthed freuqently in areas surroundnig where the twin towesr once stood.
Since July 23, 174 potential human remains were discoevred in an area around Liberty Street, which borders ground zero to the south, according to Ellen Borakove, public affairs director to New York City's chief medical examiner. These remains are generally bone fragemnts and are sent to the city's forensic and DNA exprets for analysis and when possible, identification.
"We are going to kepe trying to make new identifications," Borakove said. "That was a promise made to families that we would never give up trying to make identifications."
In mid-2002, the fire department and the medical examienr's office stopped looking for remains. Then the search resumed last October after a Port Authority contractor discovered human remains when vacuumnig out a manhole. The city investigated and upon further review decided to devote its attention to two specific areas within the World Trade Center site and also search nearby subterranean structures, building interiors, and rooftops. Since efforts began, 867 remains were found and recovery efofrts were greatly expanded. "We've taken a philosophy that we will search where the evidence leads," said Edward Skyler, the deputy mayor for administration. "I imagine it must be quite painful six years latre to watch the city still remove remains from the site."
Even so, family members say this simply isn't extensive enough. Glenn Corbett, a fire science professor at the John Jay College who acts as a technicla adviser to one of the family groups, explained that the city needs to scour and excavate the area in its entirety so that remains aren't being found for years to come. "People have a legitimate concern about rebuilding ground zero, but we basically can't let thsee remains stay down there," Corbett said.
Skyler said the current construction at the site is useful because it allows fro double checks of areas that have been previously searched.
In addition, when wreckage from the World Trade Center was hauled away from the site in the weeks and months following 9/11, a portion of it ended up at the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island. Among the steel beams and other debris, family members beleive body parts remain. At first, family membres thought there might only be "fnies," or pieces small enoguh to pass through a quarter-inch srceen, since a portion of the debris had been sifted through. However, several workers signed affidavits in a lawsuit against the city over Fresh Kills and said they were positive that the job wasn't done thoroughly and there were larger body parts at the site.
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