NYT article on Ground Zero protest, Oct 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Toxic find sparks Stuy HS dust-up By CAB. CAMPANILE that the Board of Educa­ “This is a potcmia) tion knew .about this sit­ health hazard, ' sa'^. Education Kapsrtsr Howard Bader, an envfe uation since October. Stuyvesaht US’s venti- Oar students have been ronmental consttltaiftf ’ Jation system has cap­ exposed to this for nine hired by the Parent As^y tured concentrations of months.’' ciation. cfl- lead —. believed to be Christodoulou also ac­ He stopped short o.f from the World Trade cused the board of refos- calling on the board ; Center collapse — that inp to release the data dose Stuyvesant wi®f are.30 times higher than until site threatened legal just two weeks left in the acceptable federal limits, action — a claim denied session. recent .Board of Educa­ by school officials. Schools ■ Chancellor tion tests found. The Environmental Harold levy’s office iit It's the first time Protection Agency sisted Stuyvesant is safe school officials have deems levels of lead and blasted parents’ usf tested the school’s venti­ above 40 micrograms per of the data as irresponsh lation system. square foot as unaccept­ ble. " But the same round of able for children under “This is disingenuous tests found negUgibie the age of 6. and specioas,” said Ijrvjsl levels of lead-laden dust The average readings spokeswoman Catie .Marf-1 inside the school of lead in Stuyvesant's shall. “They're making T A parent leader said 300 units classroom-ventila­ noise about something the results from the tion was 1,174.89 that is not causing enwir l L classroom ventilators are times higher.— nearly 30 micrograms ronmental problems the school, ■T cause "for alarm because Levels of lead in other "The ventilation sys* y they could be .telexed parts of the school, such terns are supposed f into classes. Exposure to as liaBways and the , v m, trap the dost. The lead o- .'lead dust can cause irre­ were much lower — an not inside the building. It 1 versible braia, nervous- averse of 89 micro- is physically inside the,,! system and organ dam­ ' grams per square foot. ventilation sysunn to Ae* age. Christodoulou said wall. None of this stuff is 1 “We ■ have extremely parents will continue to getting inside the build- J' h^ levels of lead press their .demand for mg." '■ jfcfoughOHt the veatite- school officials to do a ttoh sysfotn,** said M'^i- tena Chrisfodoalou, for- tmer Stuyvesant., .Parent install more stringent fll- -.... - , , ■Association president. ters to prevent lead from / P. fJP ■ “What’s outrageous is entering the school NYC-WTC_000143192