52nd Street Station where dangerous lead levels were reported
June 22, 2017 By Jason Cohen
A bill requiring the MTA and the New York City Transit Authority to study lead paint levels along the elevated subway lines has now passed the state senate and assembly.
Both houses approved the legislation after only a month and a half and now it is in the hands of Governor Andrew Cuomo for it to become law.
Proposed by Senator Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights), the new law would mandate the MTA to submit a report with recommendations as to how the agency would eliminate hazardous lead paint.
The MTA would be required to present its findings to the governor, mayor, the temporary president of the state senate and the speaker of the assembly. The study would “review past renovations to stations to determine the amount of lead paint abatement.”
“I am glad we were able to move this vital piece of legislation quickly through both houses of the legislature in order to protect New Yorkers,” Peralta said in a release.
“In a little less than a month and a half, it was possible for us to introduce and pass this bill in regards to the amount of lead paint in elevated subway tracks, including the 7 line. This subway line cuts across several hard-working communities in my district, and unfortunately lead paint chips are falling onto the streets and sidewalks.”
A recent report by the District Council 9 International Union of Painters and Allied Trades revealed that paint chips falling from the 52nd Street 7 train station were found to contain lead amounts of 244,000 parts per million, which is equivalent to about 50 times in excess of the legal requirements for lead.
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It’s funny that International Union of Painters is doing the report because it benefits their members.