Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo (D-Endwell) announced that legislation she authored requiring landlords to disclose vapor intrusion problems to their tenants passed the Assembly (A.10120-B). Another bill she co-sponsored shortening the turnaround time between testing a home for TCE and notification of results also passed (A.10633).

“Vapor intrusion poses a serious health concern for some of my constituents,” Lupardo said. “Some landlords have failed to inform tenants of vapor intrusion problems, potentially putting them at risk. My bill will help eliminate the problem.”

The Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee – which Lupardo is a member of –held a public hearing in Endicott last year and recently released a report, “Vapor Intrusion of Toxic Chemicals: An Emerging Public Health Concern,” summarizing findings in the Southern Tier and across the state.

“The public hearings highlighted the need to take a proactive approach to the problem by revising the guideline for TCE toxicity,” Lupardo said. “Our current standards are less protective than a number of other states, which is something that needs to be corrected. I advocate that all homes should be mitigated and the vapor intrusion cleaned up immediately if there is any detectable contamination present.”

Lupardo is also sponsoring legislation that will ensure public notification within 48 hours of any spill that may pose potential health hazards to the community (A.10757).