A new petition on Change.org, led by the Greenpoint Environmental activist organization Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG), stands in opposition to the proposed location for mega-development Greenpoint Landing’s new K-8 School.
The school is slated to sit on the corner of Dupont and Franklin Streets, across the street from NuHart Plastics, which was declared a state-level super-fund site in 2010 because it is highly contaminated with thousands of gallons of hazardous chemicals, including two underground plumes of trichloroethylene (TCE), and as much as 60,000 gallons of uncontrolled phthalates, which have leeched from the site out toward surrounding streets.
According to NAG’s petition, “exposure to these chemicals have been linked to liver and kidney damage, congenital heart defects, central nervous system defects, changes in sex hormones, low sperm count, obesity, reduced female fertility, birth defects, low birth weight, and altered behavior in toddlers.”
Given these toxic side-affects, Councilman Stephen Levin brokered a deal with Greenpoint Landing 5 years ago to postpone construction of the school for 5 years pending environmental remediation of the NuHart complex, but that clean-up process has not yet begun, and the 5-year probationary period is coming to a close.
Even if that clean-up process were to begin right now, it could take up to 10 years to completely decontaminate the site. Despite the overwhelmingly toxic nature of the situation, the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) is now prepared to allow Greenpoint Landing to build its school across from the NuHart Site.
You can sign the petition here to urge elected officials to hold SCA and Greenpoint Landing accountable to the Greenpoint Community, and keep the children of Greenpoint safe from a toxic situation.
To learn more about the situation, you can also attend Councilman Levin’s public meeting this Thursday, 6/28 from 7-9pm at Mary D.’s Senior Housing (80 Dupont Street). To enter, use the entrance on Eagle St.
If they build the school it doesn’t mean people have to sign-up their kids. Let it stay empty. Keep putting it out there how its contaminated. All of Greenpoint is contaminated.
Is there an update on this story?