New York City to Sift Again for 9/11 Human Remains

City to sift again for 9/11 remains
By Doug Auer

March 27, 2010, 7:24AM

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/city_to_sift_again_for_911_rem.htm l

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Families of 9/11 victims received notice yesterday afternoon that the city will conduct a three-month sifting operation for World Trade Center remains at the shuttered Fresh Kills landfill.

Work will begin on Friday.

"The city is opening a forensic mobile sifting platform at Fresh Kills in Staten Island to thoroughly evaluate the material, using the same techniques employed during the prior operation at the facility at 11 Water St. in Brooklyn," states the e-mailed letter, sent by Nazli Parvizi, commissioner of the city Community Affairs Unit.

Some 844 cubic yards of WTC material was excavated over the past two years from the following areas in and around Ground Zero: N.Y. State Route 9A (West Street), Haul Road, Cedar Street, Washington Street, Vesey Street, the rooftop of Fiterman Hall and various subterranean structures, according to an attached memorandum written to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg by Deputy Mayor for Operations Edward Skyler on Jan. 28.

Anthropologists and other trained professionals will carefully evaluate and search the material, Skyler wrote.

Any potential remains will be sent for further testing to the laboratories of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which will oversee the estimated $1.4 million operation.

The memo notes that since 2006, there have been 25 new victim identifications, as well as remains linked to previously identified victims.

A summary chart shows that 1,773 potential human remains have been recovered from the site of the terrorist attacks.

"OCME will keep you informed of potential human remains that are recovered," the e-mail concludes.

Doug Auer covers police and fire news for the Advance. He may be reached at auer@siadvance.com.