Port Authority Reports Employee Losses

By Mary Voboril | STAFF WRITER

September 13, 2001

The Port Authority, which had more than 2,000 staffers assigned to 14 floors at its headquarters in the World Trade Center, is among the agencies that suffered major losses of personnel in Tuesday's catastrophe.

Ernesto Butcher, the Port Authority's chief operating officer, said late yesterday afternoon that about 150 employees remained unaccounted for.

Among the missing is the Port Authority's executive director, Neil Levin, who had run Gov. George Pataki's banking and insurance agencies, officials and others said.

The number of missing employees includes 42 police officers; "the others are civilian personnel," Butcher said. Earlier, Pataki's office put the number of missing civilian employees at 112.

At the news conference, Butcher said, "Our hearts go out to those families. We understand that their pain is certainly different and much deeper than our pain. These are people we have worked with, some of us for many years, and are dear to us. ...

"We can only say to those families that they have our heartfelt sympathy."

At a news conference yesterday in Manhattan, Pataki said, "While our emergency rescue teams continue their historic efforts to save lives, we recognize that many families are facing terrible uncertainty."

Systemwide, Port Authority personnel numbers about 7,000. The employees at the World Trade Center worked in Tower One.

"As we grieve, we ... have a responsibility to carry on by providing the transportation services that are the backbone of this region," Butcher said.

Relatives of Port Authority employees who are unaccounted for may call 973-565-5505, 973-565- 5506 or 973-565-5507.

Butcher made his remarks while flanked by police officers and dozens of Port Authority staffers.

"I'm here today to assure the people of New York and New Jersey - and throughout the world - that the PA is open for business ... All of our airports, bridges and tunnels, bus terminals and maritime ports are secure and fully staffed."

He said senior personnel are working in temporary headquarters elsewhere. The agency's financial systems are run from outside Manhattan and were not affected by Tuesday's catastrophe, he said.

People who do business with the Port Authority should call 973-624-6204 for information.