The NYC Department of Education (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been in a stand-off all year over PCBs in city schools. Despite the EPA's warnings about PCBs, which have been linked to cancer as well as immune and reproductive system disorders, the city has largely stuck to the attitude, "we just don't have any money to fix that...and nobody's died." But after the EPA reported that all nine schools spot-checked this year for PCBs in antiquated lighting fixtures were found to have elevated amounts, the city is changing their tune: Mayor Bloomberg has finally approved a $708 million plan to replace all the cancer-spewing lighting in city schools.
A DOE official told NY1 that the aging lighting fixtures at 772 public school buildings, which were installed between 1950 and 1978, will be replaced over a ten year period. The project will be paid for with city capital funds, and will accept bids for the project later this year. The DOE's critics are surprised it took this long for Bloomberg to snap into action on the issue, which is simpatico with his PlaNYC2030 initiative.
In addition to replacing more than 564,000 of the leaking, outdated "T12" lights, the city plans to conduct energy audits at its schools and to replace outdated and inefficient boilers in the school system. And on top of the list for replacements is Brooklyn PS 45, which had PCB levels up to 670,000 parts per million, just a teensy bit above the federal limit of 50 parts per million. We guess this means we shouldn't expect children to begin adapting and mutating to the PCBs like the Atlantic tomcod.
