A Widow Replies To "Trade Center Confusion"
- ENR (Engineering News Record)
- by Monica Gabrielle
Dear Editor:
I would like to reply to the above captioned letter (7/29/02, ENR Magazine by L.H. Roth).
Let me begin by saying that my husband, Rich, was killed at
the WTC on 9/11. He was killed by the collapse of the building.
Therefore, I have a special interest in all information and misinformation
regarding 9/11.
I find Mr. Roth's remarks very disturbing. He proudly
states that "more than 100 samples of recovered steel will undergo
extensive analysis." Has Mr. Roth forgotten that there were TWO 110 story
buildings, each floor one acre in size, that collapsed and ultimately
crushed my husband? How many pieces of steel do you suppose it took to
build those towers of doom? What kind of extensive and/or comprehensive
analysis does he suppose will take place? What answers and/or conclusions
will be drawn from this extremely small sample? Does he in fact know that
those 100 pieces constitute samples of important areas of the two
buildings or are the 100 pieces all that was left after the rest was sold
and/or shipped off for shredding? Why don't we have all the pieces from
the points of impact in both towers? Perhaps it was because there was no
plan to treat this as an investigation from the start.
I find it bizarre that he believes the BPAT will serve as a
basis for the continuing investigation by NIST. What revelations does he
believe the BPAT contains? What kind of "study" was conducted while FEMA,
ASCE and New York officials were at Ground Zero unable to coordinate their
efforts and engaging in turf wars? Anyone who attended the two
Congressional House Science Committee hearings (3/6/02 and 5/1/02) would
have heard the Committee proclaim that "mismanagement muddled the collapse
inquiry; it was far too slow to start; hampered by a lack of cooperation
by New York City and other governmental agencies controlling the site."
(NY Times 3/7/02)
I find it amazing that Mr. Roth refers to 9/11 as "the
event of a criminal or terrorist nature." Why then wasn't the area
secured, as it should have been? Why is all the steel evidence gone
despite the insistence of our organization? What kind of thorough "study"
could possibly have been done?
I applaud Mr. Roth for his support of the National
Construction Safety Team Act. At least he realizes that should, God
forbid, another terrorist act or natural disaster occur, there will NOT be
any doubt as to who will be in charge and that we will have a
comprehensive investigation protocol in place.
As to the ASCE/FEMA study being the first step in what will
eventually lead to safer buildings, I think not! Safer buildings will be
built because our organization and the public who live and work in these
buildings will demand it! We are going to demand code changes. We are
going to demand that quality, safety, security and code compliance be the
hallmark of any building that ensues, and we did not need the BPAT report
to come to those conclusions!
As far as I'm concerned, the BPAT report will never be a
legacy for my husband. A complete and thorough investigation into the WTC
disaster, the new National Construction Safety Team and actual changes to
codes and practices will be the true legacy for him!
Monica Gabrielle
Co-Chairperson
Skyscraper Safety Campaign
www.skyscrapersafety.org
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