Sept. 11 Victim Buried
Lourdes Galletti Diaz, a victim of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, was laid to rest today in the coastal town of Penuelas, Puerto Rico. Her mother, Milagros Diaz Perez, received her daughter's partial remains which were identified using DNA samples. Mourners walked through the main streets of Penuelas bearing yellow flowers, in honor of the 33-year old secretary who died in the World Trade Center. Four years, three months and three days later, she has finally been laid to rest. (source)
In other 9/11-related news, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced recently that it will go forward with a plan to test some lower Manhattan apartments for "World Trade Center dust". The tests will include sampling possible asbestos, lead and other substances that could pose health risks. It is drawing some criticism, as denouncers deride the plan for its narrow geographic focus, its testing methodology and the fact that it is voluntary. (via the AP)
Additionally, New York Governor George Pataki gave developer Larry Silverstein and the WTC site's owner three months to resolve questions about Silverstein's future at the site, and one official said that it might include renegotiating the developer's lease to build officer towers. Pataki also turned over $1.67 billion in tax-exempt government bonds to help build skyscrapers at Ground Zero. Five office towers are planned. This upcoming spring, construction on the Freedom Tower is scheduled to begin. A memorial, a museum, and a transit hub are also being built on the site. (source)
Finally, a planned pair of 30-foot waterfalls that are aligned along the "footprints" of the Twin Towers may become problematic in the winter. A mockup built in Canada has revealed that there is a potential that freezing water will spray visitors. "We expect that the waterfalls may have to be turned off in winter because of the cold weather, like other water fountains around the city," said Lynn Rasic, spokeswoman for the WTC Memorial Foundation. (source)
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