Parents deserve to know if there are toxic chemicals like PCBs in their schools. And because of parents like Michelle Chapman, they will! Click here to support the fight.
Dear Lucas,
The New York City Council recently passed a bill requiring the DOE to notify parents whether the lights in their child's school are contaminated with PCBs. This bill is the product of hard work done by parent leaders like Michelle Chapman.
Support Michelle's fight to get PCBs out of NYC schools. Click here to make a contribution.
When an NYCC parent leader first told Michelle about the risk of toxic PCBs in her daughter's school, she was shocked. But once she learned about the symptoms caused by PCBs exposure, the only thing that was shocking was how the DOE hadn't done anything to get rid of the chemical that's been linked to cancer, respiratory and development disorders.
Niara, Michelle's daughter, often suffered from headaches during the school year, but her symptoms disappear over the summer. Curious if PCBs were the cause of Nyara's recurring headaches, and unwilling to wait years for the DOE to get around to testing the school, Michelle joined with NYCC parent leaders to test the school themselves.
Nearly every school parents tested -- including Niara's -- had PCBs levels much higher than the EPA limit!
PCBs can be found in window caulk, soil, and in certain models of florescent lights and is likely to be present in more than 1,000 NYC schools. Aside from being linked to cancer and respiratory and developmental disorders, new research shows that PCBs don't break down in the body, and that girls who are exposed to PCBs may have complications during pregnancy even years after exposure.
It's not right that Niara, or any other NYC student, is exposed to harmful chemicals while at school. Click here to support the fight to get the toxic PCBs out of NYC schools.
Making sure that parents know about PCB contamination in their schools is an important step forward in the fight get the toxic chemicals out of our schools -- but until all schools are free from PCB contamination, that fight wages on. Next year we'll get back to work organizing parents to demand that DOE takes action to clean up our schools immediately!
Thanks for your support!
Olivia Leirer
Communications and Social Media Director
New York Communities for Change