NEW YORK, NY August 31, 2007 —Mayor Bloomberg is defending the dismantling process of the former Deutsche Bank building.

REPORTER: He says city and state officials were juggling many priorities, including doing it quickly and safely, with respect to air quality and the environment.

BLOOMBERG: It was coming down slowly, but as far as we can tell from every single measurement device, there was no pollutants put into the air whatsoever. And then you had this terrible fire and terrible tragedy. But we have to go back and find another plan.

REPORTER: Bloomberg defended the decision to demote 3 fire officials, saying they were responsible for inspecting the site every 15 days. A demoted fire captain, Peter Bosco, says there was an unwritten rule not to inspect the building so firefighters wouldn't be exposed to any airborne contaminants.