Statue of Liberty Crown May Reopen

NEW YORK - The National Park Service is considering reopening Lady Liberty's crown for the first time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to documents a congressman released on July Fourth.

The park service requested bids last
month to study what it would take to safely open the Statue of
Liberty's iconic headpiece to the public, according to documents
released by U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y.

Liberty Island was closed after the
terrorist attacks. The statue's base, pedestal and lower observation
deck reopened in August 2004, after a $20 million effort to enhance
fire safety.

But the crown and its interior
observation deck, which soar about 265 feet above New York Harbor,
remained closed because the Park Service said there was no way to
evacuate them safely in an emergency. The narrow spiral staircase that
leads up to the crown doesn't comply with fire and building codes.

Visitors are now limited to the statue's 154-foot-tall pedestal.

Weiner, a member of the House
Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security,
helped arrange a congressional hearing in September on reopening the
crown.