BW09012019 - Page 6

6 BROOKLYN WEEKLY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2019 LEAD-ING THE CHARGE Coney Island lawmaker spearheads assault on de Blasio’s lead policy BY ROSE ADAMS Coney Island Councilman Mark Treyger slammed Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday for failing to properly investigate lead contamination in elementary schools, claiming common spaces like cafeterias and hallways remain suspect as the fi rst day of school looms on Sept. 5. “It is inconceivable that lead was banned almost 60 years ago and yet still exists in our schools,” Treyger wrote in a letter to schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, signed by 33 of the 51 City Council members, including Speaker Corey Johnson, Councilman Justin Brannan (D– Bay Ridge), and Councilman Chaim Deutch (D–Sheepshead Bay). A Department of Education study published in July found that 360 classrooms in 114 Brooklyn elementary schools have peeling paint contaminated by highly toxic lead particles , and de Blasio claimed the city would take swift action to remediate the poison — which causes developmental delay, learning diffi culties, abdominal pain, and seizures, among other illnesses — by the beginning of the school year, but local pols argue that only treating classroom space is not enough. Treyger, in a previous letter fi red off to school offi cials on Aug. 14, asked authorities to investigate “ancillary spaces,” which include art rooms, libraries, stairwells, and cafeterias for lead particles, LEADING THE WAY: Councilman Mark Treyger (center) urged DOE to investigate lead contamination in elementary schools’ common areas — like cafeterias and hallways — before the start of the school year on Sept. 5. Andrew Kist but de Blasio dismissed the concern at press conference the following day, claiming that it’s unlikely kids would eat paint outside the classroom. “You don’t get lead chips in your mouth walking through a hallway or lead dust on you walking through a hallway. The real question is the classrooms,” de Blasio said. “We have to believe there’s an actual problem and specifi c need to go after it, but, if we fi nd it, we will.” Treyger went tit-fortat with hizzoner in Monday’s follow-up letter to Carranza, condemning de Blasio’s disregard for the safety of Kings County kids. “We believe the Administration’s reaction to this serious issue is insuffi cient and downplays the seriousness of lead contamination,” Treyger wrote. “Stating that contaminated secondary spaces, such as stairways, don’t pose a threat to children simply isn’t true. Responses that diminish the risk posed by lead contamination in secondary spaces are divorced from the reality of how children behave.” The Department of Education did not comment on whether it will investigate Treyger’s concerns, but claimed that it is working to fi nish removing the toxic ink from inside the classrooms. “We’re going to continue doing everything we can to keep our keep kids safe in school. We’re completing remediation in classrooms and we’re currently reviewing our policy on common spaces and will have more to say soon,” said DOE spokeswoman Miranda Barbot. �� This newspaper is not responsible for typographical errors in ads beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2019 by Brooklyn Courier Life LLC. The content of this newspaper is protected by Federal copyright law. This newspaper, its advertisements, articles, and photographs may not be reproduced, either in whole or part, without permission in writing from the publisher except brief portions for purposes of review or commentary consistent with the law. Postmaster, send address changes to Courier Life, One MetroTech Center North, Third Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. ��