NYC Dept. of Health official waffling on PCBs health effects

Here’s some interesting info. As I have mentioned in other postings on this blog, back in 2005 a parent at a school in Yorktown Heights, New York took it upon himself to have caulking tested which then eventually led to the full testing and removal of all PCB contaminated caulking. Here is a letter from the Mount Sinai Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit applauding that parent’s efforts. Below is an excerpt from this letter.

“PCBs in the French Hill Elementary School can represent a risk for the students who spend from 35 to 50 hours per week in and around the facility. Decreasing exposure will help protect the children from potential health effects now and in the future. Removing window caulking known to contain PCBs in the school will remove the source.

The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit applauds your work in protecting the children of French Hill Elementary School from exposure to PCBs. We also continue to follow and support you in your effort to decrease exposure to PCBs at other sites.”

Note that one of the signatories to this letter is a Dr. Nathan Graber. He now works at the New York City Department of Health and is the one making the rounds at different schools trying to assure parents and teachers that there is no significant risk at any of the schools that have tested positive for PCBs. I have my own opinions but I’ll leave it up to you, the reader, to come to your own conclusions.