Con Edison Commits Up to $20,000 to Fund Independent Environmental Consultants to Represent the MCSM Parent Community

On August 4, Parents' Association Board members Steve Koss and Deirdre Rose attended a meeting at East Harlem Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito's office at her invitation. Also in attendance were three representatives of Con Edison -- Laura Mascuch, Fernando Perez, and Yelena Skorobogatov -- and Ms. Elsie Encarnacion from Ms. Viverito's staff (and a 1998 MCSM graduate!).

In short order, Ms. Viverito relayed the very welcomed news that Con Edison had agreed to provide funding of up to $20,000 to the MCSM Parents' Association to engage independent environmental consultants to represent the MCSM community with regard to its MGP brownfield remediation and monitoring issues. This groundbreaking arrangement will help ensure that MCSM parents and students have access over the coming months and years to independent technical expertise, guidance, and representation during the State's 30-day public comment periods as Con Edison and NY State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Health (DOH) move forward with ongoing air quality testing, release of their Analysis of Alternatives Report (AAR) this fall, and future plans for site maintenance and monitoring. The availability of such consultants makes truly meaningful the notion of public comment on matters where parents do not have nearly sufficient expertise to question such technical data and plans.

Con Edison outlined the nature of the proposed agreement on August 4 and promised to return with a more formal contract document for the Parents' Association after Labor Day. We are delighted to observe that this agreement serves the health and safety interests not just of our children but also MCSM's teachers and staff, the full Isaac Newton Middle School community, and even the nearby East Harlem residential community. In addition, we would be remiss not to take special note of the "behind the scenes" role played by Ms. Viverito and to express our sincere gratitude for her concern and efforts. We have also received strong and often first-hand support from State Senator Jose Serrano, State Senator Bill Perkins, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and their respective staffs, for all of which we are equally grateful.