CARROLL GARDENS — The Department of Education will expedite removal of specific PCB-ridden light fixtures at P.S. 146, after signs of leaking were identified, officials said.
During a District 15 Community Education Council meeting last week, which was attended by Education Chancellor Dennis Walcott, a parent presented photos of light fixtures at the school that showed signs of leaking, and compared them to sample photos published on the DOE website that showed what a leak might look like.
In response, the department has decided to rid the school of specific light fixtures that might be leaking.
“We have a process and when we have confirmed ballast leaks we address them immediately,” said Marge Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the DOE. “That is what happened in this instance. Work on specific fixtures will be done early next week.”
Parents of students at P.S. 146, located at 610 Henry Street, rallied with elected officials last week, in hopes of pushing the DOE to expedite a 10-year plan to remove all light systems containing the toxic chemical PCB, or polychlorinated biphenyls, and it seems the agency has finally heeded their pleas.
Exposure to large amounts of PCBs, which are found in fluorescent lights that were developed at least 35 years ago when PCBs were outlawed, are known to cause skin conditions and liver damage, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We are thrilled that the DOE finally heard our concerns and agreed to replace the fixtures,” said Alexis Quy, a parent of a student at P.S. 146. “We are eager to have the full remediation completed quickly and safely. We look forward to hearing the next step to make our school environment a more healthy place for our children and staff. Hopefully, the timeline for remediation for all NYC schools will be moved up as well.”
