A Message from the Chairman of the Health and Safety Committee
8/7/02
Dear Parents,
Most of you probably know that Stuyvesant has been closed for the summer.
The school is in the midst of a thorough cleaning made necessary by
findings of high lead concentrations, centered mostly in the school's unit
ventilators and air handling units. These findings, and the efforts of
our current and outgoing Parents' Association leadership, persuaded the
Board of Education to shut down the school so that the process could be
completed without affecting school in September.
In early July, the new Co-presidents appointed a Health and Safety
Committee, a "special (temporary) committee" that continues to oversee
these efforts. I was asked to Chair the committee, and the Executive Board
retained two environmental consultants to oversee the cleaning efforts and
associated testing.
This is a large and complex project and, if you're interested, I encourage
you to poke around this website for more detailed information than I'm
going to provide you in this letter. You'll find minutes from Health and
Safety Committee Meetings, tables showing where work and testing has been
completed, and what else still has to be done. I'll use the remainder of
this space to give you an overview of the project's scope, a general
appraisal of its status and some information regarding uncertainties that
still remain.
As mentioned, the cleaning efforts have concentrated on the school's
ventilation systems, including the over 300 unit ventilators and ductwork
throughout the building. Classrooms, hallways and other public areas are
also being cleaned as the duct and ventilator work is finished.
To date, most of the unit ventilators have already been cleaned and well
over half have been satisfactorily tested. Progress on the ductwork has
also been fast, although several areas have had to be re-visited because
initial tests revealed that the cleaning had not been as thorough as we
would like. Nonetheless, it seems safe to say that these efforts, though
somewhat behind schedule, should be finished safely in time for the
opening of school.
One unanticipated problem has arisen, and we are working with the Board to
solve it. The Board's original plan called for removal of carpeting in
the auditorium but the Committee thought it would be prudent to test this
carpeting for asbestos. Initial testing has shown elevated levels, so we
asked the Board to remove the carpet following asbestos abatement
protocols. We have also asked that they test upholstery and porous
surfaces in the auditorium and elsewhere, and that they be prepared to
replace them if necessary. We have also requested extensive surface and
air testing throughout this process and after its completion.
I remain hopeful that the issues described above will be satisfactorily
resolved and that all of the work necessary for a safe opening of school
will be completed on time.
Sincerely, David N. Ross,
Second Vice-President and
Chairman of the Health and Safety Committee
Stuyvesant Parents' Association
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