Parents worry about fumes at Gowanus school

September 3, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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GOWANUS — NOXIOUS FUMES AT A SCHOOL IN GOWANUS will not delay its opening this month, which alarmed and angered parents, reports Gothamist. P.S. 372 (the Children’s School), an elementary school near the Gowanus Canal, is proceeding with back to school plans even after the recent discovery of high levels of indoor air contamination. State investigators in March found high levels of petroleum contamination, including benzene, a known human carcinogen, in the basement of the P.S. 372 annex building. Investigators recommended that the site be cleaned up, but officials from the Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health stated, during rancorous community meetings, that permanent protective measures will not be in place by the start of the academic year.

No plans were made to hold classes away from the building. Speaking with parents at a town hall meeting in August via Zoom, health officials asserted that while the chemicals found in the annex building are “slightly above” normal levels, there’s no risk to health or need for people to relocate. Councilmember Shahana Hanif, who represents the neighborhood, declared her commitment to ensuring that parents and school officials at both schools get timely responses from government agencies about the contamination.

Information on the state’s air quality testing around Gowanus can be found on the DEC website. The agency is holding an information session on Sept. 19 at P.S. 372 starting at 7 p.m.

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