World Trade Center Cleanup Completed Ahead of Schedule

Danielle Jackson

New York – The last steel beam left standing at the World Trade Center (WTC) site was removed yesterday in the first of a series of ceremonies marking the end of the 8-month cleanup. Workers removed approximately 1.8 million tons of rubble from the site and sent it in about 100,000 truckloads to the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, N.Y., where investigators and medical staff continue to search through the debris for evidence and remains.

The excavation finished three months ahead of what city officials originally estimated, and will cost $750 million — about one-tenth of the originally estimated $7 billion.

A ceremony was held on May 30 at 10:29 a.m., the moment the second 110-story tower collapsed on Sept. 11. A separate ceremony will be held Sunday, June 2, for families of the victims.

Plans for a memorial and site redevelopment are being discussed and could be announced as soon as July, according to city officials.