Michael E. Newman
(301) 975-3025

The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will brief the media and the public on June 23, 2005, in New York City on the draft recommendations from its building and fire safety investigation of the collapses of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The recommendations seek improvements in the way people design, construct, maintain and use buildings to increase both structural integrity and building, occupant and emergency responder safety. They will be released, along with the complete WTC towers investigation report, for a six-week public comment period.

The towers report consists of 43 individual documents (15 of which were released in April) and some 10,000 pages. A separate draft report on the collapse of WTC 7 (a 47-story building that fell after the WTC towers) will be released for public comment at a later date.

The press briefing will be satellite broadcast and Webcast. The Webcast will begin at 10:00 a.m. EDT at www.iian.ibeam.com/events/thom001/13858/. Reporters only may submit questions during the press briefing to media@nist.gov. If time allows, press briefing speakers will answer email submitted questions.

Downlink information for the satellite broadcast is the following:

U/L Type: Digital, Band Type: Ku-Band
Galaxy-3C/12K Slot "B" (95' W)
U/L: 14230.000 MHz Vertical
D/L: 11930.000 MHz Horizontal
Allocated Bandwidth (MHz): 9.000
Sym Rate: 6.1113
FEC: ¾
Encoding: MPEG 420

The public briefing will not be broadcast.

NOTE TO BROADCAST MEDIA OUTLETS—a video B-roll package will be transmitted via satellite at 9:45 a.m. EDT and again immediately following the completion of the media briefing question-and-answer period. The B-roll contains video of recovered WTC steel, laboratory fire tests and computer simulations.

Thursday, June 23, 2005 (Times are EDT)

Press Briefing 10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Public Briefing 2 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

A question-and-answer period will immediately follow both briefings. A limited availability for press interviews with WTC Lead Investigator Shyam Sunder is planned after the media Q&As are completed in the morning.

The Marriott New York Financial Center Hotel
Grand Ballroom, Third Floor
85 West St.
New York, N.Y.

Media planning to attend the briefing should register by Tuesday, June 21, 2005, at 5 p.m. EDT (time extended from that listed in previous advisory), by calling (301) 975-2762 or by sending an e-mail to media@nist.gov.

For security reasons, all media-including production crew members-must have proper credentials (a news media badge with photo or a photo ID with a business card) to enter the briefing room.