Manhattan Parent Center without Walls

Manhattan BP Scott M. Stringer
and
Advocates for Children of New York
Present

Manhattan Parent Center without Walls

-- Is your child struggling in school?

-- Has your child been suspended and you want more information about the process?

-- Would you like to learn more about your rights to participate in your child's education?

Join Advocates for Children and the Office of Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer for a 3-part training series for parents.

Thursday, May 7: Special Education Process

Thursday, May 14: Suspensions

Tuesday, May 19: Know Your Rights in NYC Public Schools for Parents and Students

Time (all meetings): 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Location: Manhattan Borough President's Office

1 Centre Street, 19th Floor

Please RSVP to events@manhattanbp.org or call 212-669-4465 and specify which session(s) you wish to attend.

For more information about Parent Centers without Walls and other services of RCSN, please click on the following: RCSN Services.

Parents’ Association (PA) Meeting Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 6:00 PM



Con Edison Presentation of Recommendations for Dealing with the Toxic Contaminants Beneath Our School Building and Grounds

At the MCSM PA’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:00 PM, representatives from Con Edison, NY State Departments of Health (DOH) and Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the NYC DOE will hold a public comments meeting and present their recommendations concerning cleanup of the toxic contaminants located under our school building and grounds. In addition, the Parents' Association's own independent consultants, Peter Strauss and Lenny Siegel, will be there to speak on our behalf and present their views of the proposed solutions.

This is a public meeting, open to Isaac Newton parents and staff as well as members of the East Harlem (and Pleasant Avenue) community. All parents and community members will have the opportunity to ask questions, express their concerns, and otherwise reassure themselves that their children’s (and the community’s) health and safety are well-protected and being given the highest priority.

After roughly 30 days, Con Edison’s plans will be finalized, and they will begin moving forward to implement the accepted recommendations. Whatever happens as a result of these meetings will be the "solution" at MCSM for the next 20-30 years or more, so this is our one and only chance to SPEAK UP for the future health of our children and their teachers.

This is a VERY important meeting, critical to the future of your children’s school. We encourage all MCSM parents to attend, ask your questions, and make sure you understand what is being planned.

Con Edison Recommendations for MCSM Building Site Released

A new report detailing Con Edison’s analysis and recommendations for dealing with the toxic contaminants buried beneath our school building and grounds has just been released, along with a preliminary plan for long-term management of our site. You can now obtain copies of these documents for yourself from the Internet -- see the information at the end of this posting.

The new Analysis of Alternatives Report (AAR) contains six major recommendations for dealing with the contaminants left over from a former manufactured gas plant (MGP) that used to operate on our school building site from the late 1800s to the late 1930s:

1. Do not remove any of the coal tar from the holding tank or soil beneath the school building, since no cleanup technology exists that will remove most of the contaminants without suspending school operations for up to two years or demolishing the school building.

2. Since all indoor air tests to date have shown no harmful vapors entering the school from the contaminated soil beneath, install a sub-slab depressurization (vacuum) system underneath the basement floor to vent any harmful vapors rising through the soil to the outside air. The school’s concrete basement floor has already proven to be an effective barrier; this new vacuum-style system provides an extra level of protection for the children and their teachers.

3. Build an impermeable barrier along the eastern edge of the school property, alongside the FDR Drive, to prevent the contaminants that have migrated below ground in that direction from moving any farther toward the Harlem River. The barrier will prevent the contaminants from passing through, and a series of collection wells will trap and hold them for periodic removal.

4. Excavate and remove the toxic soil from the southeastern corner of the school yard (next to the FDR Drive and the basketball courts)and replace it with clean fill.

5. Leave the contaminants that have already migrated under the Harlem River bed in place and monitor them. At present, they do not appear to pose any threat to the fish or other biological entities in the river since they are 15-25 feet below the river bottom.

6. Implement management control and monitoring plans to ensure these systems operate correctly and effectively and that future excavation does not take place without proper precautions and controls.

These documents are available for downloading in both summary and detailed form by going to Con Edison’s website, www.coned.com/mgp, or you can click on the following: Con Edison AAR and CSMP Reports. MCSM’s reports are listed under “115th Street Site” (the first address tab on the left). The summary documents (Fact Sheet and Draft Decision Document are available in both English and Spanish). The Analysis of Alternatives (AAR) and Conceptual Site Management Plan (CSMP) are lengthy, detailed documents explaining the results of Con Edison's analysis (AAR) and their preliminary site management plans (CSMP) once their recommendations have been implemented.