NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document
Page 2 of2
This letter was prepared at your request [per FEMA reimbursement regulations. The letter]
addresses the issue of carpeting removal at public schools in Lower Manhattan that were
affected by the collapse of the World Trade Center, that is, PS/IS 89, PS 150, PS 234,
Stuyvesant High School, the High School of Economics and Finance and the High School of
Leadership and Public Service.
There have been concerns raised about possible contamination of carpeting at these schools
resulting from the collapse of the World Trade Center. The Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene has worked collaboratively with the Department of Education, and its independent
environmental consulting firm, on environmental sampling and clean-up efforts at these schools.
The Department of Health strongly recommended that the Department of Education remove
floor carpeting as part of their continued clean-up efforts.
The Department of Health reviewed the "Carpet Removal Protocol" as provided by the
Department of Education. The Department of Health concluded that removal performed in
accordance with these protocols would be sufficiently protective of the health of students,
teachers, and staff within the schools such that the removal process itself would not create a risk
to health.
Sincerely,
KeUyR. McKinney P.E.
Associate Commissioner
2/11/2003
NYC-WTC_000160083
OCR can misread numbers and units. Confirm readings against the page image before using them.