Neighbors Alarmed About Lead Contamination in NYU Renovation

The New York Times blog reports that a mistake during a renovation project at New York University has led to widespread lead contamination in part of one Manhattan neighborhood.

“Contractors hired by the university stripped paint off the front and rear exterior walls of the brick buildings, at 6 to 26 East Eighth Street, believing that the paint did not contain lead,” the Times blog says. “But it turns out that only paint on the front of the building had actually been tested before the work began. The rear wall, which faces south and abuts the Washington Mews, was in fact covered with older whitewash that did contain lead. … Paint dust, containing an alarmingly high amount of lead, found its way into the 63 apartments in the row of five and six story buildings on East Eighth Street.”

Lead is of course highly toxic, especially to small children, where it can lead to learning disabilities and other problems.

Most of the contaminated apartments have been cleaned by the university. Residents have been asked to get blood tests, but no alarming results have come in so far. —Scott Carlson