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CNN Live Today

In New York Today, Closing of Another Chapter From 09-11

Aired July 15, 2002 - 13:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In New York today, the closing of another chapter from September 11th. Workers on Staten Island have finished going through 1.6 million tons of debris from the World Trade Center site.

CNN's Jason Carroll has this news from this Fresh Kills Landfill site of one yet more solemn ceremony.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a short ceremony. It was relatively simple. We heard from members of the New York City Police Department. We also heard from the mayor, as well as the governor. It was an inspirational ceremony as well, especially to the family members who come out to the site.

This is the site where more than 1.5 million tons of debris from the World Trade Center ended up. For the past 10 months, detective and workers, basically from all over the country, some of them volunteering their own time to come out and search through the debris and rubble to try to identify and search for remains.

New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg came out today and said we will never forget those that died, but he also said it is important to remember all of the firefighters, police officers, the sanitation workers who helped out during the recovery effort.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MYR. MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: You know, right here we see the best an the worst. We are here because of the worst of humanity, the terrorists who caused so many deaths and so much pain, and I will make a commitment to all of you here: We will not forget the 2,800 people who died the same way people have been dying for 226 years, to make this the greatest country in the world, where we can be free. We will not forget.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Governor George Pataki pointed out how important it was to the family members to try and get back any personal items from the victims who died in the World Trade Center. The workers here were able to recover 54,000 personal items from victims from the World Trade Center. Sometimes it was a wedding ring, other times a personal photo.

That was especially significant to the Doyle family. Bill Doyle lost his son, Joey, in the World Trade Center disaster. He worked at Cantor Fitzgerald. The workers here were able to recover his driver's license. Bill Doyle coming out here today. He says it was part of the grieving process to attend the ceremony.

Two-thousand, eight-hundred and twenty-three people died during the World Trade Center disaster. The medical examiner is expected to identify 2,800 victims. The work will continue, even though the work here has ended.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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