WTC steel heading home to Coatesville PA

[decay]

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12311186

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manha...7r7XKrBxGJ

Massive steel remnants of the fallen World Trade Center towers are being returned to the Pennsylvania city where they were made more than four decades ago, in a solemn homecoming that was never meant to be.

A mile-long procession of 28 flatbed trucks is expected to arrive in Coatesville on Wednesday afternoon carrying 500 tons of structural supports, referred to as “steel trees” because of their upward branching shape.

Forged in 1969 by Lukens Steel Co., the supports framed the perimeter of the twin towers’ first nine floors and massive lobbies before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks reduced both skyscrapers to rubble.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-wtc-...3235.story


live Twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/search?q=%23WTCsteel

[decay]

http://twitpic.com/1fleg6

[C(-)ris]

Why isn't there a single decent picture of this online. All I see are a couple banners and one truck... nobody can manage a good shot?

[mattkime]

weird.

returning the steel to an industry that largely doesn't exist anymore.

[decay]

true...

http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-9-11...1899.story

http://www.wfmz.com/news/23150294/detail.html

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking...on_28.html

best i could find:

[DP]

>returning the steel to an industry that largely doesn't exist anymore.

Yes; nice gesture but why? I say recycle them into a few new M-1 Abrams'
or into parts for B-2's, etc.

[Lux Interior]

Not an appropriate use of the flag, IMHO.

[Don Kiyoti]

9/11 sentiment run amok. I agree with Lux: the American flag is to be draped over the coffins of servicemen/women and presidents, not structural metal.

[ztirffritz]

There's still steel industry in PA, but it is barely a shadow of what it used to be. There are small specialty steel mills still in Pittsburgh and I think maybe in Sharon Pa, but nothing big anymore. Most of the mills in Pittsburgh are gone and were turned into high tech labs for other industries. Pitt and CMU are using some of them too. Neville Island used to be one of the most industrialized pieces of land on Earth. It was ringed by Nike missile bases during the cold war because such a significant percentage of the industrial production of the US came from this tiny island in the middle of the Ohio River.

I'm guessing that the steel is being sent 'home' as a symbolic gesture for the folks who still remember how it used to be. It really is amazing to see how Pittsburgh has changed. When I was a kid I remember looking at the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland. It looked like the building from Ghost Busters, but it was black. The first time that I came home to visit after moving away I was shocked to see that it had been 'painted' white. Upon closer inspection I learned that the pollution and soot of 100 years of steel and coke(not the soft drink) production stained the stone. It was actually sandstone. It now looks like an Ivory Tower in the center of an academic hub.

[macphanatic]

The Luken's plant in Conshohocken, PA (outside of Philly) has changed ownership a few times, but is still operating. The US steel industry has made a comeback from a few years ago. However, it's the mini mills that tend to do better than the larger mills. Mini mills typically take scrap steel, melt and roll it. Some now do custom cutting of the plate. Industries like this because they only pay to ship what they will use.