Exhibits

    The September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New York brought from the horror and tragedy of that Tuesday morning an astounding response from the City of New York and the World.  The efforts of firefighters, police, and other first responders in search, rescue and recovery have become proud symbols of the very best of New York and America.  While firefighters and police officers became easily identified and deserving heroes, the thousands of employees of the Department of Sanitation who worked 24 hours a day for nine months to process the wreckage in a respectful and efficient fashion did not receive nearly the same level of public attention.  The story of the DSNY’s response to the September 11 attacks represents one of the most comprehensive and complex cleanup efforts ever. 

    This exhibit highlights some of the most significant components and heroes of the material handling effort, which began just hours after those tragic events unfolded.  Less than one year after the attack, all of the designated material from the World Trade Center site had been sorted and processed by the Department of Sanitation and housed in a sustainable waste containment facility.  Because of the hard work of the members of the Department of Sanitation as well as the Departments of Environmental Protection and the Police Department, the 1.2 million tons of material did not present any continuing danger to either the citizens of New York City or the environment.