Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), representative of Ground Zero, welcomed news that the long-delayed demolition of 130 Liberty Street in Manhattan – the Deutsche Bank building – is finally complete.  Nadler, who, since 9/11, championed the comprehensive and safe environmental cleanup of Lower Manhattan and the protection of responders, workers, residents and community members, for years led the charge for a safe and thorough demolition of the Deutsche Bank.  He issued the following statement:

“As the demolition of the Deutsche Bank comes to its long-awaited conclusion, I am pleased to mark the end of that prolonged and fraught project which tragically and needlessly claimed the lives of two firefighters.  Shortly after 9/11, I began to warn authorities about the probable risks of contamination on the site, and, in 2004, we confirmed those fears with a detailed report documenting alarming and dangerous levels of toxicity.  With the community beside me, I called for the immediate implementation of safety and environmental guidelines and oversight.  Over time, we were successful in pushing LMDC to enact critical measures for both environmental and worker safety.

“Nine years later, that nightmare demolition is behind us and we have taken another meaningful step forward in the renewal of Ground Zero.  I commend LMDC for finally bringing the Deutsche Bank’s demolition back on track during this often-difficult episode.  And I join the community of Lower Manhattan in welcoming, with great anticipation, the resurgence of this long-suffering neighborhood.”