Falling Glass Is Surprise Hazard at 130 Liberty St. by Etta Sanders The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) released an initial environmental study last month that confirmed high levels of contaminants in the former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street, whose “deconstruction” is to begin later this year. But environmental hazards are not the only worries for people who live in the shadow of the office tower, which was badly damaged when the World Trade Center towers collapsed. On Sunday evening, Sept. 26, a 2-feet-by-2-feet pane of 1/4-inch-thick glass fell down from the building onto Liberty Street. No one was injured, but as of late last month the blocks of Liberty and Greenwich streets adjacent to the site remained closed, complicating access to some homes and businesses. “There is some concern,” said Andrew Jurinko, who lives across the street at 125 Cedar Street. “It’s a building 40 stories tall and we’re in a high wind area.” The LMDC, which purchased the building on Aug. 31 in order to take it down, would not discuss details of the mishap, but in a statement called it “an isolated incident at the building where a small piece of the glass fell from the building.” The LMDC said it had taken “immediate action,” along with the city’s Departments of Buildings and Transportation, to “ensure that the event is not repeated and that the safety of the surrounding community remains paramount.” According to the Department of Buildings, the LMDC immediately began a complete exterior inspection of the structure, which is covered in black netting. The Buildings Department had no previous record of pieces of the building falling. Susan Fox said she was on the street near her home at 120 Greenwich Street on Sept. 26 when she heard a crash. Fox said she was impressed by the LMDC’s quick response, but that the incident called into question the agency’s knowledge of the building’s condition. “It certainly emphasizes the reality of the dangers that they themselves are unaware of,” she said. The results of environmental testing conducted by the Lois Berger Group were presented at two public meetings last month. The study found excessive levels of dioxin, asbestos, lead, mercury and other heavy metals on 77 percent of the 31 floors tested. (The report is posted on the LMDC website, www.renewnyc.com). “We have a real interest in removing this building from the community,” Amy Peterson, the LMDC’s vice president for memorial, cultural and civic development told Community Board 1. Still to be developed is a detailed deconstruction plan, with the specific safety measures that will be used. That plan will be prepared and overseen by the Gilbane Building Company. The federal Environmental Protection Agency and the city’s Department of Environmental Protection will review the plans before deconstruction begins, Peterson said. The work may begin as soon as November. “We’re confident we can go to the regulators and come up with a plan to do this quickly,” she said. Peterson said the LMDC would work with the New York City Office of Emergency Management to develop an emergency evacuation plan. The LMDC also announced a 24-hour emergency telephone number, 917-715-6790, that will reach a Gilbane representative. Because the testing by the Louis Berger Group was conducted before the LMDC owned the building, the company was not able to test inside the walls and ceilings. More extensive testing will be done this fall. It will likely be a year before the final piece of the building is removed.