PS 29 Parents Rally Against Asbestos Abatement And Demolition. Want Postponement Of Work Until End Of School Year.

On Monday afternoon, parents and students of Public School 29 on Henry Street met in the schoolyard for a rally against recent construction on the old school building as well as a proposed asbestos abatement that was supposed to start on Monday.
Though work on the façade of the building takes place after 3 PM when the children have gone home, a thick layer of dust has settled inside the school.  The dust is a source of concern for parents, but it was the news that asbestos abatement around the building's windows was to begin yesterday afternoon that prompted the start of an online petition as well as the rally.
Parents claim that they were only informed about the abatement last Friday. By law, the School Construction Authority (SCA) should have posted warning signs announcing the asbestos removal seven calendar days before the beginning of abatement. No signs ever went up.
The parents would like the work to be postponed until the end of this school year, which is only two months away.

The protesters were joined by Councilmember Brad Lander, who earlier in the day had sent a letter to Lorraine Grillo, SCA's President and Chief Executive Officer in support of the PS 29 community.
His letter reads:

Dear President Grillo:I am writing to strongly urge the School Construction Authority to suspend asbestos abatement work (and other work affecting air quality) at P.S. 29 in Brooklyn until the 2011-2012 school year is over.  Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and the lack of clarity, transparency, and discussion about asbestos abatement at P.S. 29 is of great concern.At a bare minimum, I believe that the SCA is obligated to hold off on any asbestos work for at least seven calendar days – since public posting of the work was not provided in advance, as required under the NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s Asbestos Rules and Regulations (Title 15, Chapter 1 of the Rules of the City of New York), which your staff have indicated will be followed for the P.S. 29 project. Parents of the schoolchildren at P.S. 29 are understandably concerned about the construction project, and this concern has been amplified by the lack of notification and the inadequate information provided by the SCA, particularly as it relates to the removal of asbestos.  The SCA failed to provide detailed, written information to the full P.S. 29 community that describes how SCA intends to meet the protocols necessary to keep students safe during asbestos abatement until today, when the work is scheduled to begin.  We still do not have adequate information on the classrooms affected or the duration of the work.  This lack of notification and information does not foster confidence that the proper asbestos safety procedures will be followed.  I understand that the renovation work planned for P.S. 29 – including exterior masonry, roof replacement, and parapet replacement – will take place after school hours into the late evenings, on weekends, and school holidays. However, the demolition and rebuilding of the exterior masonry requires the removal of asbestos from around the school’s windows, which will have an impact on interior school spaces while school is still in session. I was particularly troubled to learn that the P.S. 29 community – administrators, teachers, students, and parents – are expected to wait, each day that asbestos abatement occurs, for a “re-occupancy” letter, indicating that air-quality monitoring has confirmed that the classrooms affected are safe.  Parents and teachers should not have to be on “standby” regarding their children’s health.  In addition, the SCA’s lack of transparency about the asbestos abatement elements on this project have made it more difficult for parents to believe that they are being given all of the relevant information. SCA should put the students’ and teachers’ health first and suspend asbestos abatement work until the 2011-2012 school year is over.  I appreciate your consideration of my recommendation and I look forward to your response. Sincerely, 
Brad LanderCity Councilmember, District 39

For the time being, the abatement work has been pushed back until this Friday.
SCA representatives have also promised to come to PS 29's PTA meeting on Thursday evening.

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PS 29 Parents And Teachers Understandably Concerned About Construction And Asbestos Removal While School Is In Session

Parents and teachers of Public School 29 on Henry Street have become increasingly concerned about a major construction project which started on the building in March.
Though crews do not start work until the children leave the building at 3 PM, it goes on through the night. In the morning, a layer of dust has settled inside the school.
What is concerning parents and children even more is that on Friday, parents found out that asbestos removal will start tonight. They are rightfully angry that they have not received enough warning.
By law, the School Construction Authority should have posted warning signs announcing the asbestos removal seven days before the beginning of abatement. As of this morning, not one sign has gone up.
As one parent told me: "We are not saying that this is an actual danger to the children. What we are saying is that if corners are being cut and proper procedures are not followed, there are some real concerns."
Another father wrote to tell me:
"Due to lack of proper communications, parents have been ill-informed about what's happening when. Students have lost most of their playground, the school has become dusty on the inside, and of course -- danger at the school has increased. Only this past Friday (two days ago) did we parents learn that asbestos removal work is planned for this coming Monday night.
Several parents I've spoken with are considering not sending their kids to school as a result of the asbestos work.
A petition has been started a few days ago asking the Mayor to issue a stop work order at  PS 29 until summer vacation. The petition also asks for changes to codes when it comes to constructions and repair in city schools. Why do laws allow for work that presents potential for harm to children (and teachers, and administrators) to be done when school is in session?"

The petition reads:

Issue "Stop Work" order at PS 29 and  guarantee air safety in all NYC schools.PS 29 is an old building and needs work. With very little warning, construction began this March. Beginning a week or two ago, thick amounts of dust began to appear. The principal documented the degree of dust in a cell phone photo she took of a window sill. (Last month another parent witnessed a construction worker walking down the stairs -- in between young children -- carrying a large circular saw with blades exposed.)A construction zone such as the one PS 29 has become is no place for children. Unless authorities can unequivocally guarantee the absolute safety of the environment, work should not proceed during times of the year when school is in session.Following 9/11 FEMA first said that the air was safe enough to breathe -- but we know it wasn't.This petition represents a formal request by the PS 29 community to cease all construction work at the school until the summer break. We also request that the Mayor’s Office conduct an transparent review of policies concerning repair of schools in the CIty of New York. Policy ought to reflect the highest standards of safety for children (and teachers and administrators) in schools across the city. Therefore, we request that the city push enact changes to the rules of school construction and repairs in order to protect children in all possible ways.

Parents are organizing a demonstration in front of the school tonight at 5:30 PM. and over 1100 fliers were handed out this morning.
One really has to wonder why the School Construction Authority  planned this work during test week and not during Spring break two weeks ago.

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