NEW YORK—Sluggish to act on toxins found in lighting fixtures and caulking in schools across the city, the Department of Education (DOE) was spurred to action on Wednesday.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began investigating the presence of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) in New York City’s schools in August of last year. Since that time, they have found levels that far exceed the federal regulation in all 15 schools they tested. PCBs are a suspected carcinogen, and are known to affect neurological development and fertility, according to David Newman, industrial hygienist at the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.
The substance was commonly used in insulating electrical fixtures from the 1950s to the ‘70s, until banned in 1979. The worst case of contamination yet was discovered Tuesday at P.S. 45 in Brooklyn. The EPA regulation level is 50 parts per million; the EPA found 650,000 parts per million at P.S. 45.
As Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal stood on the steps of City Hall on Wednesday morning to announce her legislation mandating a swift, three-year cleanup of PCBs, the DOE released their action plan. The DOE plan follows the thread of Rosenthal’s mandates fairly closely, but not when it comes to the timeline.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has maintained under, increasing pressure, that PCBs are not an immediate threat and the city cannot afford the overhaul of fixtures in hundreds of schools—772 schools to be exact. The new plan finds the funds exactly where Rosenthal says she has repeatedly told DOE to find them.
“This is a progressive plan to increase energy efficiency at our schools and simultaneously address the issue of PCBs in old light fixtures,” stated Schools Chancellor Cathleen Black in a press release. This echoed Rosenthal’s proclamation that if the city replaced the fixtures with energy-saving models, the renovation would pay for itself in a few years.
The city’s capital investment of $708 million will not only replace light fixtures, but also provide new boilers where needed, and other energy-saving retrofitting.
Rosenthal suggested getting Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) involved to cover the cost. ESCOs are private entities that can identify energy-saving opportunities and recommend improvements. Through an energy performance contract, the ESCO will guarantee that savings will exceed the cost of renovation. If the improvements do not pay for themselves, the ESCO foots the bill.
ESCO contracts are usually spread out over a term of seven to ten years, according to the Energy Services Coalition. The DOE’s plan includes seeking an ESCO contract and has a ten-year timeline.
MOVING FORWARD, SLOWLY
Lauren Schuster of Rosenthal’s office explains that although one ESCO will typically work on a 10-year timeline, the city is able to contract several ESCOs at once to expedite the process. Rosenthal insists that a greater sense of urgency be adopted to prevent the exposure of children, teachers, and maintenance workers to the toxins.
“Given that both the EPA and the Department of Health have said there is no immediate health threat to students in these buildings, we believe this is the most responsible way to proceed,” commented Black.
Bonnie Bellow, spokesperson for EPA clarifies that “PCBs in the air do not pose an immediate threat, but the concern is that they build up in the body.”
While children have attended schools with PCBs since they were built decades ago, the danger is greater now. As the light ballasts break down over time, PCBs can leak out. The city is prioritizing schools with evident leaks and schools built between 1950 and 1966.
The DOE reports that “the plan is based on a ten-year implementation period, but in 2014, the City will revisit the timeline and consider any lessons learned and market changes to see if the timeline can be accelerated.”
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began investigating the presence of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) in New York City’s schools in August of last year. Since that time, they have found levels that far exceed the federal regulation in all 15 schools they tested. PCBs are a suspected carcinogen, and are known to affect neurological development and fertility, according to David Newman, industrial hygienist at the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.
The substance was commonly used in insulating electrical fixtures from the 1950s to the ‘70s, until banned in 1979. The worst case of contamination yet was discovered Tuesday at P.S. 45 in Brooklyn. The EPA regulation level is 50 parts per million; the EPA found 650,000 parts per million at P.S. 45.
As Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal stood on the steps of City Hall on Wednesday morning to announce her legislation mandating a swift, three-year cleanup of PCBs, the DOE released their action plan. The DOE plan follows the thread of Rosenthal’s mandates fairly closely, but not when it comes to the timeline.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has maintained under, increasing pressure, that PCBs are not an immediate threat and the city cannot afford the overhaul of fixtures in hundreds of schools—772 schools to be exact. The new plan finds the funds exactly where Rosenthal says she has repeatedly told DOE to find them.
“This is a progressive plan to increase energy efficiency at our schools and simultaneously address the issue of PCBs in old light fixtures,” stated Schools Chancellor Cathleen Black in a press release. This echoed Rosenthal’s proclamation that if the city replaced the fixtures with energy-saving models, the renovation would pay for itself in a few years.
The city’s capital investment of $708 million will not only replace light fixtures, but also provide new boilers where needed, and other energy-saving retrofitting.
Rosenthal suggested getting Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) involved to cover the cost. ESCOs are private entities that can identify energy-saving opportunities and recommend improvements. Through an energy performance contract, the ESCO will guarantee that savings will exceed the cost of renovation. If the improvements do not pay for themselves, the ESCO foots the bill.
ESCO contracts are usually spread out over a term of seven to ten years, according to the Energy Services Coalition. The DOE’s plan includes seeking an ESCO contract and has a ten-year timeline.
MOVING FORWARD, SLOWLY
Lauren Schuster of Rosenthal’s office explains that although one ESCO will typically work on a 10-year timeline, the city is able to contract several ESCOs at once to expedite the process. Rosenthal insists that a greater sense of urgency be adopted to prevent the exposure of children, teachers, and maintenance workers to the toxins.
“Given that both the EPA and the Department of Health have said there is no immediate health threat to students in these buildings, we believe this is the most responsible way to proceed,” commented Black.
Bonnie Bellow, spokesperson for EPA clarifies that “PCBs in the air do not pose an immediate threat, but the concern is that they build up in the body.”
While children have attended schools with PCBs since they were built decades ago, the danger is greater now. As the light ballasts break down over time, PCBs can leak out. The city is prioritizing schools with evident leaks and schools built between 1950 and 1966.
The DOE reports that “the plan is based on a ten-year implementation period, but in 2014, the City will revisit the timeline and consider any lessons learned and market changes to see if the timeline can be accelerated.”
