By Amy Zimmer
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — Plumes of dust and noxious odors wafting from a Second Avenue Subway construction site near East 69th Street has sparked quality of life concerns among Upper East Side residents.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney will call on the MTA on Saturday to step up efforts to tackle issues sparked by the massive project. She will also urge the transportation authority to test the air at the construction site to confirm that it is safe.
"I've been in some bad military situations, and it's not as bad as that," resident Ralph Leviton said at a recent Community Board 8 meeting, according to the New York Post.
Residents blamed the burnt iron smell on the drilling near East 69th and East 70th streets, the paper reported.
An MTA spokesman told DNAinfo that there are four dust monitoring devices around the perimeter of the work site providing weekly reports to the agency.
"Over the past four weeks there have been instances where the reading has exceeded the established threshold for 15 minutes or less on a given day," he said. "Going forward we are assigning additional supervision to ensure that the dust is thoroughly hosed down and we will continue to closely monitor the site."
There is also a muck conveyance system being built in two sections between 69th and 70th streets to minimize dust. The one at 72nd Street will be completed by August and the one at 69th Street will be completed by September, the spokesman said.
"We understand the concerns and the inconvenience residents are experiencing as a result of construction to build this vital subway line," he added.
