NEW YORK—The safety of public school buildings was under scrutiny this Thursday as many elected officials and over 100 supporters came out to demand the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) test all New York public schools for high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s), a carcinogenic chemical once used in construction.
“We don’t want to be alarmist or scare people but we need to know the facts,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler.
Two letters signed by all 13 members of New York City’s House Delegation were recently submitted urging the EPA to take action on investigating whether the more than 700 schools in all five boroughs contain harmful levels of PCBs.
The outcries come as a result of a pilot project initiated by the EPA at the start of this year. Designed to test the PCB levels in five schools within the city, the results of the three schools tested thus far revealed contamination was above safety levels for all three. P.S. 199 in Manhattan tested as having seven times the recommended levels while P.S. 309 in Brooklyn was 50 times above the threshold.
Congressman Joseph Crowley said children should be absorbing knowledge and not hazardous waste.
PCB’s are found in many buildings including schools constructed or renovated between the 1950s up until 1978, when the chemical was banned. Prior to their manufacturing ban by Congress in 1976, the chemicals were commonly found in caulk, as well as light ballasts.
According to EPA reports, exposure to PCBs is linked to adverse effects on the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems. The health affects vary according to the amount of exposure and age.
Generally people are exposed to PCPs through dust or air in buildings where the chemical has been used. The EPA offers guidelines of how to reduce exposure in contaminated buildings including regular hand-washing and frequent cleaning to reduce dust and residue.
Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal became active in the PCB issue after she became informed that one of the schools in her district was contaminated with above threshold levels of PCB. She urged the EPA to move faster on the issue in addressing the problem.
President of United Federation of Teachers Michael Mulgrew likewise agreed, saying EPA needs to move faster to remove what possible harm could come to the children.
The EPA released a statement saying that the three tested schools do not pose an immediate health risk in the short term and say that they “will continue working with the city to ensure that students, teachers, and school staff throughout New York City are protected.”
The EPA also noted that it will continue working with the pilot program, and also believes in developing a long-term plan to tackle the problem of lighting ballasts throughout the city and has inquired to federal and state officials whether funding is available for the endeavor.
Nadler said that although the cost of remediation once problems are found remains unclear, it’s important to test the schools as soon as possible. “We’re saying to quickly test it,” he said.
EPA technical staff said that based on the pilot project conducted, it generally takes several weeks to inspect one school, however the time frame is dependent on a variety of logistical factors.
Additional reporting by Natalie Gee
“We don’t want to be alarmist or scare people but we need to know the facts,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler.
Two letters signed by all 13 members of New York City’s House Delegation were recently submitted urging the EPA to take action on investigating whether the more than 700 schools in all five boroughs contain harmful levels of PCBs.
The outcries come as a result of a pilot project initiated by the EPA at the start of this year. Designed to test the PCB levels in five schools within the city, the results of the three schools tested thus far revealed contamination was above safety levels for all three. P.S. 199 in Manhattan tested as having seven times the recommended levels while P.S. 309 in Brooklyn was 50 times above the threshold.
Congressman Joseph Crowley said children should be absorbing knowledge and not hazardous waste.
PCB’s are found in many buildings including schools constructed or renovated between the 1950s up until 1978, when the chemical was banned. Prior to their manufacturing ban by Congress in 1976, the chemicals were commonly found in caulk, as well as light ballasts.
According to EPA reports, exposure to PCBs is linked to adverse effects on the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems. The health affects vary according to the amount of exposure and age.
Generally people are exposed to PCPs through dust or air in buildings where the chemical has been used. The EPA offers guidelines of how to reduce exposure in contaminated buildings including regular hand-washing and frequent cleaning to reduce dust and residue.
Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal became active in the PCB issue after she became informed that one of the schools in her district was contaminated with above threshold levels of PCB. She urged the EPA to move faster on the issue in addressing the problem.
President of United Federation of Teachers Michael Mulgrew likewise agreed, saying EPA needs to move faster to remove what possible harm could come to the children.
The EPA released a statement saying that the three tested schools do not pose an immediate health risk in the short term and say that they “will continue working with the city to ensure that students, teachers, and school staff throughout New York City are protected.”
The EPA also noted that it will continue working with the pilot program, and also believes in developing a long-term plan to tackle the problem of lighting ballasts throughout the city and has inquired to federal and state officials whether funding is available for the endeavor.
Nadler said that although the cost of remediation once problems are found remains unclear, it’s important to test the schools as soon as possible. “We’re saying to quickly test it,” he said.
EPA technical staff said that based on the pilot project conducted, it generally takes several weeks to inspect one school, however the time frame is dependent on a variety of logistical factors.
Additional reporting by Natalie Gee
