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Environment

HARLEM AIR- Replacement Boilers At Harlem Public Schools

Blog entry posted by Timnit Abraha 1 year ago

With 1 in 4 Harlem children diagnosed with Asthma, the urgency of improved Air quality couldn't come at a better time. According to The PLANYC 2024 478 city schools burn No. 4 or No. 6 heating oil and many of these are in neighborhoods where the asthma rates are over three times higher than the national average. More specifically the areas are Harlem, The Bronx, central Brooklyn and parts of Queens. By 2024, the City will modify the boiler systems of 100 of these schools, to enable the boilers to burn a cleaner fuel. The cleaner burning boilers will emit 44% less PM 2.5 emissions.If you live or walk across 121 Street between 7th & 8th you will see that a replacement boiler is in the progress of being installed at PS 76, the first 2 are in Harlem. The tank takes up the partial playground and a security guard stays over night to ensure security. Understandably so, the replacement cost per school is $5.7 Million. My apartment is on this block. One night we were sleeping with the windows cracked open and I was awoken by a foul air entering our apartment. I looked out at 4AM and realized there was grayish/ black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe at the site. Terrified of not knowing what we were inhaling I called The Construction School Authority SCA that morning. After a week I got a call back from a live person-extremely helpful. I explained that although DOB (Department of Buildings) may have approved the placement of the exhaust pipe (generally 3 feet from roof) It was leveled with my window.  On days when the wind blew north our entire north block would get this exhaust, which would defeat the purpose of the clean air initiative. He agreed and contacted the construction company to extend the exhaust by 5 feet and to monitor the days when the replacement emission levels are specifically foul.

 As more of these projects take place around Harlem Schools I encourage you to contact the CSA (Construction School Authority) with any issue. Block by block involvement is what Harlem needs.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/html/plan/air_clean-heat.shtml

 

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Comments

Posted 1 year ago

Riverside wrote

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Wow, I never would have thought to call the city to tell them about the fumes I'm breathing - I would just close my window.. I think it's great that you stood up for yourself and were able to get them to move that pipe!

I'm glad that they're putting cleaner fuel burning systems in schools, but how is 100 schools enough when there are over 478 schools that are burning these fuels that are bad for your health??

It's better than nothing, I guess!