New York, NY – New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF, Manhattan) expressed her support for the agreement announced today between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the City of New York to develop a pilot mechanism to test for PCBs in New York City public schools. Assemblymember Rosenthal has been calling for action on this issue since PCBs were discovered in a school in her district, P.S. 199 at 270 West 70th Street. After a routine window replacement project was botched, children and teachers were exposed to the toxic compounds. She introduced a bill in 2009 requiring the City of New York to investigate the status of PCBs in public schools.

“I applaud the EPA and Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck for recognizing the severity of this issue and taking this positive first step,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal. “I am encouraged by this announcement, and I am hopeful that this pilot project will lead the City of New York to ensure that schoolchildren are not exposed to harmful environmental health risks. We have known about the risks of PCBs since the EPA banned their use in the mid-1970s, and it is unthinkable that we are still debating their removal in 2010.”

In April 2008, it was revealed that the School Construction Authority (SCA) subcontractors performing the upgrade at P.S. 199 and other schools neglected safety protocols and caused unacceptable levels of PCBs in air and wipe samples, possibly jeopardizing students’ health. “To combat the mishandling of PCBs in public schools, and I introduced a bill to protect our children and demand accountability from the DOE,” Rosenthal said. She introduced Assembly bill A.7556 to mandate that the city conduct a PCB assessment of NYC schools and report its findings to the State Commissioner of Education.

Concerning bill A.7556, Miranda Massie, Senior Environmental Justice Staff Attorney with New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and attorney for a Bronx mother in litigation over PCBs in city schools said, “By mandating direct testing of potentially contaminated caulk, Assemblymember Rosenthal’s bill would significantly reduce children’s environmental health risks and further elevate New York’s leadership on this critical issue.”

In the consent decree announced today, the City has agreed to examine five schools, assess their levels of contamination and formulate an action plan in response. All of these steps are subject to EPA oversight and public comment. Assemblymember Rosenthal said, “I will be monitoring this issue closely.”