by Lionel Bascom — July 13th, 2008 — 1 comment
NY1 reports that a judge has rejected a lawsuit by relatives of 9/11 victims who wanted residue from the Twin Towers removed from the Fresh Kills landfill in State Island.
It has been there since debris was cleared from the site.
The families say the dust may contain human remains and they want it relocated to a new cemetery across the street.
“The plantiffs in this lawsuit are not prepared to allow hundreds of human remains to remain on top of a garbage dump,” said civil rights attorney Norman Siegel.
The judge said not every wrong can be addressed through the judicial process, but that he’s open for discussion if both sides want to hash out a settlement.
The city’s Law Department released a statement saying, in part:
“This decision recognizes the City’s tremendous efforts to recover the remains and personal effects of those lost on 9/11. It is our hope that the park planned for Fresh Kills, where millions of tons of Ground Zero materials were carefully sifted and examined, will help us remember those who we lost, and forever serve as a tribute to freedom and liberty.”
A 10-month search of the debris at Fresh Kills ended in July of 2002. The city claimed that any remains still at the site are too small to be identified.
9:39 PM in Uncategorized, World Trade Center, Ground Zero, Related Stories, Freedom Tower News
This settlement will not quell the pain that these families must continue to endure. There are simpler ways to resolve this issue, but for some reason, most likely having to do with money, the ashen bodies of these people must remain with debris and filth of a garbage dump. Not only is this situation disrespectful, it is despicable.
Jeanne · July 13th, 2008 at 10:32 pm