Letter from building occupants regarding asbestos and pollutants at 66

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document ........................................ — At 66 John St, 1 State Unit Confirms' t

i Worker Fire Fears /O'

By DEIDRE McEADYEN The state unit responsible 4 for safeguarding the health sE and safety of public employ- ees has found five serious S® safety violations at 66 John Street in lower Manhattan, . i where employees in the De- partment of Consumer Af- fairs adjudications division I* i"J ® complained in February about fire hazards. The Public Employee Safe- s ly and Health Bureau agreed with the workers that the ' city-leased building’s public address system was made- , quate and that the maze of I internal electronic security I doors could block access to an exit in an emergency. H S m

GLORIA JOHNSON: K Presses for precautions. •Weren’t Nuts After AU’ pursuing all safety concerns ; The employees bad com- with building management iJ plained that building man- and has requested an infor­ ' agement, rather than mal conference with the Pub­ pronyitly addressing the lic Safely and Health Bureau t . problems, suggested that to discuss the report that it i: they needed mental health submitted,” she said. j counseling to calm nerves State safety inspectors I frayed by the Sept. 11 at- also cited the city for not con­ ‘ tacks. ducting an annual mainte­ i • “We weren’t really insane,” nance check of fire extin­ said one DCA employee. guishers at 66 John St., < “There really are problems.” failing to have a written Gloria Johnson, president emergency evacuation plan, ; ofthe Civil Service Bar Asso- and providing only one , ciation, which represents the means of egress for DCA* Administrative Law Judges workers in the adjudications : in the 13th-floor division, division. said that the state report “I think the report speaks vindicated her members. “It for itself,” said Ilene Schifrin, shows that they have legiti­ a Department of Health mate concerns about their hearing officer who works on safety in the event of a fire,” the same floor. “Now it’s up I she said. to the department to do; DCA spokeswoman Dina something about it.” ; A Improta said the safety and PESH gave the city until j ' ‘ well-being of employees re- May 2 to fix the serious code i / mains the agency’s priority. violations. The city can ap- f / i “The Department of Con- peal the findings, which / ! .numer Affairs is vigilantly could delay the repairs. f / ' ■ f?

-y MT

NYC-WTC_OOO156166