- Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg face lawsuit over IPO
- Nearly half of all New York women earn more than their husbands
- Metropolitik: Finance’s benefactors back their paymasters
- FBI charges 10 more in massive LIRR pension fraud
- Our parents were criminals
- Obama hails spirit rebuilding tornado-struck Joplin
- Activists disappointed in Dharun Ravi jail sentence
x
“This could have devastating consequences on our education budget.” –Marge Feinberg, Dept. of Education spokeswoman
Light fixtures in city schools are leaking PCBs — a harmful construction chemical — and as more are found during spot checks by the Environmental Protection Agency, the city says it won’t have the money to fix all of them.
The EPA reported yesterday that a fifth school site, this time in East Harlem, tested positive for PCBs. During school tests since Jan. 8, the EPA has found PCBs in Staten Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Although EPA spokeswoman Mary Mears told Metro there’s no “immediate risk” to students, having lights leaking PCBs is against federal law — and the fixtures will have to be replaced.
Department of Education spokeswoman Marge Feinberg said they’ve replaced all the toxic lights found by the EPA thus far, but the estimated cost for checking and/or replacing all the lights in public schools throughout the five boroughs is $1 billion.
Bronx Community Board 12 member Johnnie Goff said parents tell her they learn about the PCBs from the news and friends — not always the school. Feinberg said principals normally notify parents, but there’s no official protocol.
With more toxic lights being found in every school the EPA decides to visit, some wonder: Won’t the DOE eventually have to replace them throughout the entire school system?
“We are evaluating reasonable and appropriate ways to address this issue,” said Feinberg, who declined to say when a decision on replacements might be made.
The EPA reported yesterday that a fifth school site, this time in East Harlem, tested positive for PCBs. During school tests since Jan. 8, the EPA has found PCBs in Staten Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Although EPA spokeswoman Mary Mears told Metro there’s no “immediate risk” to students, having lights leaking PCBs is against federal law — and the fixtures will have to be replaced.
Department of Education spokeswoman Marge Feinberg said they’ve replaced all the toxic lights found by the EPA thus far, but the estimated cost for checking and/or replacing all the lights in public schools throughout the five boroughs is $1 billion.
Bronx Community Board 12 member Johnnie Goff said parents tell her they learn about the PCBs from the news and friends — not always the school. Feinberg said principals normally notify parents, but there’s no official protocol.
With more toxic lights being found in every school the EPA decides to visit, some wonder: Won’t the DOE eventually have to replace them throughout the entire school system?
“We are evaluating reasonable and appropriate ways to address this issue,” said Feinberg, who declined to say when a decision on replacements might be made.
|
Add your comment |
_
|
Comments are not reviewed before posting. If you believe a comment has violated the commenting guidelines, please alert a moderator using links provided. |
| F E A T U R E D S P O N S O R S |
X
METRO.US:
READ THE PRINT
EDITION ONLINE:
EDITION ONLINE:
CONNECT
Copyright 2001-2012, Free Daily News Group Inc.