MA 2002-05 Dec. 3, 2002

CONTACT: Michael E. Newman at (301) 975-3025

POSTPONED (Due to inclement weather)

Commerce's NIST to Brief Media on Progress of WTC Investigation

NEW DATE AND TIME:
Monday, Dec. 9, 2002, 11 a.m.-12 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST)

U.S. Department of Commerce, Technology Administration
Commerce Department, 14th St. and Constitution Ave., Room 4813
Washington, D.C.

The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will brief the media on progress of the agency's building and fire safety investigation of the structural failure and subsequent progressive collapse of several World Trade Center (WTC) buildings in New York following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Phil Bond, Under Secretary for Technology and Chief of Staff to Commerce Secretary Don Evans, will host the briefing by NIST Director Arden Bement Jr. and WTC Lead Investigator Shyam Sunder, who will update the media on key aspects of the investigation and the overall NIST response plan to the WTC disaster. Topics to be discussed will include:

• progress in accessing data and materials relevant to the WTC investigation;
• the methodology planned for obtaining new data on evacuation and emergency response;
• an update on the laboratory analysis being conducted on recovered WTC steel;
• passage of the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Act and new authorities for the WTC investigation; and
• the status of the NCST advisory committee.

The session will open with brief coverage of several other technology-related developments. Media planning to attend in person are encouraged to RSVP by 3 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 6, 2002, by calling (301) 975-2762 or e-mailing media@nist.gov.

A comprehensive Web site on the NIST WTC investigation is available at http://wtc.nist.gov.

Back to Calendar Announcements and Media Advisories

date created: 12/3/02
last update: 12/5/02
contact: inquiries@nist.gov