Obama Administration likely to reopen Statue of Liberty crown for public

New York, Jan 24 (ANI): The Obama administration may soon have its first 'crowning' achievement by reopening the crown of the Statue of Liberty, which has been closed to the public since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Ken Salazar, the new Secretary of the Interior, today toured the crown of the Statue Of Liberty.

Salazar said that reopening the crown is "very important" to him, though he noted that the safety of the public must be taken into account. He said a study on safety concerns at the monument is expected to be finished in April.

The Interior Secretary dubbed the experience of touring the crown awesome after he descended today.

After the September 11 attacks, the city closed the entire Liberty Island, including the Statue, to the public, the Daily News reported.

When officials reopened Liberty Island and the Statue several years later, they kept the crown closed to the public for security reasons.

The stairway up to the crown is narrow, and US Park officials were concerned that it was a security risk should anyone get injured or suffer a medical emergency while on the stairs, NBCNewYork.com reports.

Plus, a study found that should fire break out in the stairway, the smoke would quickly suffocate anyone in the stairwell.

But despite these findings, many politicians, including New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, have been clamoring for the crown, as they believe it is safe enough for the public. (ANI)