Posted on 07/16/2006 5:05:25 AM PDT by PajamaTruthMafia
AG: 3 ceiling bolts had no epoxy By Jessica Fargen Sunday, July 16, 2006 - Updated: 12:42 AM EST
Attorney General Tom Reilly dropped a bombshell yesterday, revealing that several of the crucial bolts holding up a 3-ton piece of concrete that crashed down on a woman on her way to Logan Airport had no epoxy on them.
A Reilly spokeswoman said investigators have recovered 19 of the 20 bolts from the collapsed ceiling area, which turned into a crime scene after Monday’s fatal Big Dig tunnel tragedy. Three bolts appear to have had no epoxy applied, she said.
“These bolts and epoxy are clearly the most important evidence of our investigation right now,” Reilly said in a statement. “We are going to keep at it and see where the physical evidence takes us and get to the bottom of this.”
His investigation has focused on what caused the apparent failure of the epoxy-bolted suspension system, which held up the massive ceiling.
Big Dig contractor Modern Continental and project manager Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff have come under fire after 12 tons of concrete broke free from the I-90 Seaport connector tunnel Monday night, killing 38-year-old Jamaica Plain mother Milena Del Valle.
The Costa Rica native and her husband, Angel Del Valle, who was driving, were on their way to the airport.
Meanwhile, the shocking tally of possible Big Dig defects has grown each day, most recently exploding to an astonishing 383 trouble spots in the Seaport connector tunnel and the I-90 tunnels in both directions.
The I-90 tunnels have been shut down indefinitely, snarling Boston traffic, as investigators continue to sift through the accident scene in search of answers.Gov. Mitt Romney signed an emergency law Friday that stripped the Turnpike Authority of its tunnel inspection duties and handed them over to the governor.
http://www.boston.com/news/traffic/bigdig/articles/2006/07/16/three_bolts_had_no_glue_reilly_says/
While some of the bolts appear to have no epoxy on them, others showed an uneven distribution of epoxy , Reilly said. Some of the bolts are bent, he said.
This is a problem for Reilly, who is running for governor and who is also the attorney for Matt Amorillo.
My answer:
"Let's have a great big State Sponsored Clambake in the tunnel for the Big Dig proponents such as Kennedy, and all his Mafia contractors. Provide an open bar.
As the festivies escalate, fill the tunnel with concrete and forget about it."
Man, this is gonna be some price tag to re-inpsect the tunnels and fix whatever's wrong. They'll probably hire the same jagoffs who screwed it up in the first place.
Holy moly. I didn't know that. Personal atty? If so, isn't that like one heck of a conflict of interest?!
$20M in emergency funding just to cover the inspection of this particular problem. Lot's more to come when they start the complete safety review.
Oh yes. Welcome to my world. Where sanity has long left and brains have been sold to the lowest bidder.
Anyone heard what the feds are doing?
The Feds (NTSB) are helping in the investigation and inspection. They brought equipment to hydraulically load test each bolt and the Gov says it could be weeks before the tunnel reopens.
Maybe inspectors should start with the smaller list of what has been done right on the Big Dig.
What's the over/under? I'm guessing you can multiply that number by 100 to get to the final cost when its all said and done.
Wow. Well, that takes me back to the presser the morning after the Mrs. Del Valle was killed. Amorello said something about Reilly telling him, Amorello, to keep his yap shut. Jeez louise, Reilly is still in charge of the state's investigation?! Where the heck are the feds?
Romney's trying to wrest the investigation away from Reilly, but you're right, it should be the feds. Our luck we get Fitzgerald :-p
Thanks! Where are federal bigfeet when you need them?
No matter how many inspections, no one will use the Damocles Tunnel unless they have to. Stop inspections, save the $20M and instead, start pulling down the false ceiling. The tunnel is short enough that it is not necessary for ventilation; it is simply there for aesthetics. Pull it down, publicize that its gone, and reopen the tunnel.
The US atty for your area is some guy named Sullivan, isn't it? IIRC?
Look for....the union label!
I think that you are right. But I worry that one disgruntled official is going to mess around with "getting back" at someone other than those who are truly accountable.
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