New York City is considering a new elementary school in Brooklyn, raising safety concerns due to its proximity to a toxic Superfund site.
New York City: Well, this is a bit concerning.
The School Construction Authority is thinking about building a new elementary school in Brooklyn, right across from a Superfund site known for its toxic history.
This site on Dupont Street used to be home to NuHart Plastics, which was designated a Superfund site back in 2010 due to underground contamination. They found some nasty stuff there, like phthalates and trichloroethylene, which is a known carcinogen.
A representative from the SCA mentioned that while it might look bad to have a school next to a Superfund site, they believe this location is the cleanest option in Greenpoint. They also pointed out that other potential sites just weren’t suitable for building a school.
Even though the site is close to the proposed school, the SCA claims they’re taking extra precautions to keep kids safe. They’ve even added a hydraulic barrier to block any future contaminants.
They say there’s no risk of toxic vapors coming up from the ground, but they plan to put a protective slab over the site anyway and skip the basement in the design.
The SCA insists that the contaminants are deep underground, about 12 feet down, and won’t affect the school. They’re confident that the NuHart site won’t impact the new school.
However, not everyone is on board with this plan. Critics have raised concerns about the school being so close to hazardous waste, and a petition from 2019 gathered over 6,700 signatures against it.
People are worried that placing a school next to a toxic site shows a lack of care for the health of students and staff. There are also concerns about possible asbestos and lead at the site.
Despite these worries, the SCA says they found no contaminants from NuHart at the proposed school site during their investigations. They’ll test any suspect materials found there and deal with them according to state regulations.
Local Council Member Lincoln Restler noted that this site has been a hot topic for two decades due to nearby contamination, but he’s hopeful about the progress being made to clean up the NuHart site.
A virtual town hall to discuss the plan is set for January 22. This isn’t the first time the SCA has tried to build on a potentially hazardous site; a school in the Bronx had to close after students got sick from TCE exposure.
The NuHart site is also being developed into residential housing, with plans for 471 units. The SCA believes the Franklin Street site is the best option for the growing number of students in Greenpoint, where classrooms are already overcrowded.
They chose this location because it’s outside of a flood zone and has good access for student drop-off and pick-up. Remediation work at the Superfund site started in 2022 and is nearing completion, but there are still concerns about the contamination levels.
If the school project goes ahead, it will take years before students actually fill the classrooms. Restler emphasized the urgent need for a new elementary school in Northern Greenpoint but stressed the importance of community feedback on the safety of the site.
