9/11 Environmental Archives - Parents' Association of Stuyvesant High School

11/1/02 and Later | 6/14/02 - 10/30/02 | 9/11/01 - 6/1/02 | Environmental Monitor Results | EHSC Status Reports |

The Stuyvesant PA was the cutting edge, in many regards, among downtown schools and residents in terms of its multiple successes in implementing comprehensive environmental monitoring and cleanups after 9/11. Our web-based documents and data continue to be perused by environmental agencies and activists from around the world, and will remain available here as part of the historical record.

9/11 Review

Environmental Archive from 11/1/02 and Later

EPA Office of Inspector General Report on 9/11/2001 Issues

EPA's OIG Report on August 21, 2003, entitled "EPA's Response to the World Trade Center Collapse Challenges, Successes, and Areas for Improvement," available here at: this document. (Originally posted 9/15/03.)

Emergency Procedures

Parents should take steps to ensure their children can reach home safely in an emergency. Students should know public transportation routes as well as how to get home by foot if subway and bus service is disrupted. Students should also carry phone numbers for parents and friends. Click here for additional procedures and relevant website addresses. (Originally posted 2/14/03.)

Auditorium Seats Show No Asbestos

Tests of the auditorium seats by the DoE on 12/30/02 showed no asbestos present. Tests involved enclosing a number of seats in the auditorium within plastic tents and then vigorously beating and vacuuming the upholstered seats within the enclosures. Collected dust samples were analyzed for asbestos. Howard Bader, an environmental consultant for the PA, observed the testing and reviewed the lab results. He reported to the PA on Thurs., 1/2/03, that no asbestos structures were found in any of the 24 samples (15 inside tents and 9 outside the tents). Click here for PA resolution (11/19/02) on testing of seats. (Originally posted 1/8/03.)

Resolution Passed

At the general PA meeting, Tuesday, November 19 this resolution regarding Stuyvesant cleanup considered and passed. (Originally posted 11/19/02.)

Environmental Archive from 6/14/02 to 10/30/02

Correspondence from the Department of Education and other agencies:
DOE Response to Stuy PA - 10/11/02
DOH to DOE - 10/11/02
EPA to DOE - 10/02
NYC DEP to DOE - 10/11/02
DOE Carpet Removal Protocol - 10/02
Environmental Meeting Summary - 10/15/02
Letter to Stuyvesant parents from Parents' Association Co-Presidents Dale Bernstein and Judy Moore. See Letter - 9/2/02
Health and Safety Committee Mission. Read Statement - 8/12/02
Letter from David Ross, Chairman, Stuyvesant PA Health and Safety Committee to David Klasfeld, Department of Education, regarding outstanding areas of concern. See Letter - 8/12/02
A Message from the Chairman of the Health and Safety Committee - 8/7/02
Updated tables summarizing laboratory data received to date for sampling of unit ventilators and the central HVAC systems.
Status Report - 9/6/02 (pdf)
Status Report - 8/14/02 (pdf)
Inspection Reports on Cleanup Details for the floor-mounted unit ventilators, the ceiling-mounted unit ventilators, the central HVAC systems, and the carpeting and upholstery.
Summary Report - 9/17/02 (pdf)
See Reports - 8/14 - 8/27
Summary Report - 7/26/02
See Reports (pdf): 7/19 - 8/12
The Health and Safety Committee met to discuss the cleanup of the Stuyvesant building.
See Minutes - 8/01/02
See Minutes - 7/25/02
See Minutes - 7/17/02
The PA held a special meeting of the Executive Board regarding the hiring of environmental consultants to oversee the summer cleanup.
See Draft Minutes - 7/11/02
Meeting summary with the Board of Education and School Construction Authority - 7/12/02
Letter from David Klasfeld, Board of Education - 6/26/02
Letter from PA Attorney Richard Ben-Veniste to Deputy Chancellor Klasfeld - 6/27/02
Letter from PA Attorney Richard Ben-Veniste to Deputy Chancellor Klasfeld - 6/21/02
Guidelines for Cleaning Ducts and Unit Ventilators - 6/02

Environmental Archive from 9/11/01 to 6/1/02

June 13, 2002
Letter from Jerold Nadler to FEMA
June 17, 2002
Letter from David Klasfeld, Board of Education, to the PA Legal Counsel
June 6, 2002
Letter from ATC Associates to BOE
June 13, 2002
Letter from PA attorney Richard Ben-Veniste to Deputy Chancellor Klasfeld
April 17, 2002
EPA Notice of Elevated Particulate Measurements
March 27, 2002
EPA National Ombudsman recommendation (pdf)
Letter from Marilena Christodoulou, PA President
February 27, 2002
EPA National Ombudsman Statement regarding recontamination of the school
February 28, 2002
Letter from Dr. Hamer, Member of BOE representing Manhattan, to Chancellor Levy, requesting cleaning of the ventilation ducts
February 22, 2002
Letter from Dr. Carpenter
February 12, 2002
Letter from Board of Education
February 13, 2002
Response from Board Members
February 8, 2002
Letter to Board of Education regarding continuing air quality concerns
February 7, 2002
Letter from H. A. Bader Consultants, Inc. Environmental Consulting Engineers
February 7, 2002
Letter from Board of Education
February 7, 2002
Response to Deputy Chancellor Klasfeld
February 5, 2002
Letter from Board of Education
EPA Notice: Isocynates
EPA Notice: Tetrachloroethane
Elevated level in outdoor air adjacent to Stuyvesant and the barge operation recorded 12/19/01
January 24, 2002
Affidavit of The Parents-Teachers Association of PS 89 against the Board of Education (pdf)
Dr. Margaret J. Clarke is Scientist-in-Residence at Lehman College, and Adjunct Professor at Hunter College, both of City University of New York.
December 19, 2001
Letter from NRDC to BOE regarding possible health violations
December 4, 2001
Letter to the Board of Education from The Parent-Teacher Associations of PS 89, IS 89, PS 234, and PS 150
December 4, 2001
Letter to David Klasfeld, BOE, re EPA's 12-hour asbestos reading
December 3, 2001
Letter to David Klasfeld, BOE re-upgrading of the HVAC system at Stuyvesant to enable the utilization of HEPA
November 26, 2001
State Hearing Statement by Marilena Christodoulou
November 25, 2001
Notes on Uses and Limitations of Environmental Sampling

ATC Environmental Monitoring Results

At the request of the Stuyvesant Parents' Association, the Board of Education has employed ATC Associates, Inc., to conduct environmental monitoring inside and outside the school on a regular basis. Explanations and summaries of the results for each environmental variable can be accessed via the following links:

EHSC Status Reports

Status Report (pdf) - 9/4/02
Status Report (pdf) - 8/14/02
Status Report (pdf) - 8/6/02
Year-end Report - 6/20/02
Status Report - 5/1/02
Status Report - 2/04/02
Status Report - 12/5/01
Status Report - 11/16/01
Status Report - 10/26/01