Right, but they knew there were human remains in the wreckage. It could have been taken to PA or upstate NY or even NJ.
Bad call, but considering the situation, it is easy to see how it was made.
That's right. I think many people have forgotten how dire the situation was for the first few weeks, and perhaps even month or two. The city, and especially the subway system was in real danger of being flooded because of the damage to the "walls" (not sure what the architectural/engineering term is) that were holding back the waters of the Hudson and East Rivers.
I think they had to move as expediently as possible to reinforce all that infrastructure. Hence the need to remove the debris quickly and efficiently.