Over 80% of NYC public schools built with asbestos were not inspected from 2023-2024, audit shows
Over 80% of New York City public schools built with the known carcinogen asbestos did not undergo mandatory inspections in 2023-2024, according to a new audit released by the city comptroller's office.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is also running for mayor, says the audit found the city Department of Education failed to inspect 82% of the city's 1,700 school buildings that were built with known asbestos toxins from 2021-2024.
Those inspections are a federal requirement under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act.
Audit breaks down school asbestos inspections by borough
According to the audit, from May 2023 to April 2024, periodic inspections that are usually done by a custodian every six months were only done at 22% of schools with known asbestos-containing material.
Brooklyn, according to the report, has seen the least compliance with only 13% of schools inspected. In Queens, 16% of schools were inspected, along with 21% on Staten Island, 20% in Manhattan and 25% in the Bronx.
The comptroller says P.S. 107 in Brooklyn has not had the required asbestos inspection since 2008.
A spokesperson for New York City public schools says custodians are trained annually in asbestos awareness, adding, "We keep students safe from asbestos by requiring testing before performing any work that includes drilling, installation, or in any way modifies a building; construction work is what creates a risk of exposure."
Lander is calling on the city to comply with the federal regulation.
"No level of exposure is safe, and prolonged exposure to asbestos during childhood can cause lung disease and can cause cancer," Lander said.
CBS News New York reached out to the mayor's office but hasn't heard back yet.
Asbestos safety concerns in NYC schools
Concerns were mixed among parents and officials.
"The presence of asbestos-containing materials alone does not automatically pose a public safety or health risk," Lander said. "It only takes one place where they have been leaking out to do harm to hundreds or thousands of kids and teachers and parents."
"Asbestos is very concerning. That's bad," parent Elizabeth Wine said.
"I do construction. As long as asbestos is sealed, it's not really an issue. Once it becomes disturbed and airborne, that's when it becomes a problem for breathing it in," parent Mike Zaf said.
"[If] we get a complaint with concern a ceiling might be open, there might be cracks somewhere, we, the UFT has people there that day," United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said.
"People are typically exposed to asbestos by breathing it in, and typically that happens when the substance is disturbed, which is why, for example, you see asbestos exposure most prominently in construction industries," Dr. Jeremy Rose said.
