ASBESTOS FURY

CITY TOO CHEAP TO SAVE SCHOOLKIDS: DOE VET

By DENISE BUFFA

April 16, 2007 -- A pipefitter who claims to have found asbestos in seven city public schools and one Department of Education office says he's asked officials to remove the carcinogen - but knows of only one instance in which they have.

John Kielbasa, 50, charges that the cost has stopped his supervisors from ordering its removal - despite the health risks to students and staff.

"Every time I bring this up, they tell me not to rock the boat," said Kielbasa, a 21-year veteran of the school system. "They tell me, 'You like your job? Want to keep it?' "

When properly contained or encapsulated, asbestos is considered safe, but Kielbasa says he's repeatedly found it in its loose, dangerous form.

The DOE Division of School Facilities, Kielbasa's employer, denied receiving any complaints from him, but his lawyer, Peter Gleason, produced several written requests from Kielbasa to supervisors within the last year.

DOE spokeswoman Marge Feinberg insisted that the city's schools are safe and that the agency removes exposed asbestos as soon as it's alerted.

But a lab hired by Kielbasa and Gleason found asbestos in samples obtained from the eight sites last November and December.

"I find it in libraries. I find it in classrooms. I find it in hallways. I find it in machinery rooms, near ventilation ducts," he said.

Among the locations are:

• PS 102, 315 E. 113th St. in Manhattan, in machinery space under the cafeteria and near a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning unit feeding the gym.
• PS 72, 131 E. 104th St, in Manhattan, on a pipe and a ventilation duct - the one place Kielbasa said the issue was addressed.
• PS 18, 502 Morris Ave. in The Bronx, under the cafeteria and near the gym's blower.
• Manhattan Center HS, 116th Street and Pleasant Avenue in Manhattan, under the auditorium and near a unit pumping air into the girls' gym.
• Park East HS, 230 E. 105th St. in Manhattan, in the library radiator's cover and the boiler room.
• Samuel Gompers HS, 455 Southern Blvd. in The Bronx, on a staircase.
• South Bronx HS, 701 St. Ann's Ave., in a blower unit.
• And the Division of School Facilities' headquarters, Vernon Boulevard in Queens, on a first-floor staircase.

"What's most shocking here is that [the city is] subjecting children [to asbestos exposure]," Gleason said. "That's what's outrageous."

Additional reporting by David Andreatta
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04162007/news/regionalnews/asbestos_fury_regionalnews_denise_buffa.htm