NYC Schools Must Remove PCB-laden Lights in Five Years

Article by Joanna Prisco

New York City schools must remove PCB-laden lighting elements and other contaminated fixtures within the next five years, it was announced on Wednesday. Elected officials and community members were unanimous in celebrating the victory.

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and New York Communities for Change effectively forced the New York City Department of Education to speed up its timeline for replacement of PCB-laden fixtures in schools, which was originally projected to take a decade.

“The 10 year timeframe that the City had proposed for cleaning up these toxic chemicals was contemptible, but today’s settlement will finally move the clean up process forward in an expeditious manner,” said Congressman Serrano in a statement. 

Together with Joseph Crowley and Jerrold Nadler, Congressman Serrano had been an advocate for PCB removal since it was determined that they were legion throughout NYC schools. In Brooklyn alone, 428 schools have been identified as having PCBs in the classroom, including at the Brooklyn New School (PS 146 and MS 448), where families repeatedly rallied last year for further inspection and a faster removal process.

“As a parent within a huge school system, you sometimes feel powerless to fix problems or make change in that system. But this settlement shows that parents and advocates working on behalf of students and teachers can actually make positive change," said Ilan Kayatsky, father of 1st grader at PS 146. "I’m thrilled that all of the NYC schools with PCB light ballasts will soon be remediated. And I’m very thankful to New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and New York Communities for Change for their tremendous leadership on this issue. You just can’t toy with the health and safety of our kids.” 

Congressmen Crowley and Nadler echoed that sentiment.

“Parents should never have to question if the school where their children spend their days might actually make their children sick," said Congressman Crowley. 

"I believe that we are truly seeing justice done in this settlement," said Congressman Nadler. "The City's 10 year timeframe placed hundreds of vulnerable schoolchildren and staff at risk of exposure to toxic chemicals, and was—in a word—unacceptable." 

Comptroller John C. Liu also released a stament in response to the news, reminding city dwellers that the removal of the toxic lighting elements will be done in an eco-friendly way. 

"The settlement of this suit through the City’s agreement to an accelerated timeline for ridding our schools of toxic PCBs is a win all around," said Liu in a statement. "We stand ready to work with City Hall to finance the capital projects necessary with Green Apple Bonds, which would pay for the rapid cleanup of these chemicals while saving taxpayers $339 million and lowering the City’s carbon footprint. Now is the time.”