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Politics & Government

Levin Bill Holds DOE Accountable for Harmful PCBs in Schools

Legislation was introduced to see that harmful PCBs are removed from old light fixtures in public schools.

City Council will vote today on legislation to hold the Department of Education accountable for reporting the removal of hazardous PCB-laden light fixtures from over 750 New York City public school buildings.

In November, a study was released by the Department of Education and the School Construction Authority, which found a number of public schools that had lighting fixtures containing PCBs, a highly toxic chemical that was used legally in construction in the 1970s.

Council Member Stephen Levin, D-Brooklyn, and Council Member Vincent Ignizio, R-Staten Island, introduced legislation in May that requires the DOE to regularly report on the progress made toward cleaning PCBs from the affected schools around the city, including more than 240 schools in Brooklyn alone.

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Earlier this month, to call for the immediate disposal of PCB-laden fixtures from school buildings.

Studies have shown that PCBs have been linked to behavioral disorders, heart disease, thyroid dysfunction, ADHD, asthma, childhood leukemia, reduced immune function, and more.

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A list of schools who have had PCBs removed can be found here, while a list of schools where corrective action is slated to be taken can be found here.

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