Senator Anna M. Kaplan Calls for Investigation, Legislation to Address Mercury Exposure in Schools

(Albany, NY) -- In the wake of the recent discovery of mercury vapor in three Long Island schools, Senator Anna M. Kaplan is calling for a full investigation of the issue by the State Education Department, and is urging the passage of legislation (S6145) that will set an exposure limit for mercury in schools and prevent use of the hazardous material in future construction.

Senator Anna M. Kaplan said "As lawmakers, we have a solemn duty to ensure that we take every step necessary to ensure the safety of our children when they are at school. So when we have a situation where students and faculty on Long Island are being exposed to dangerous mercury vapor emanating from gym flooring material, we have a crisis on our hands that demands immediate attention."

Senator Kaplan is joining with her colleagues Senator Kaminsky and Senator Mayer in calling for a full investigation of the issue by the State Education Department, in order to assess the scope and magnitude of the problem.

The legislation, S6145, which was recently introduced by Senator Todd Kaminsky and co-sponsored by Senator Anna M. Kaplan,

• Eliminates the installation or covering of mercury-containing flooring in elementary and secondary schools.
• Sets a time-weighted average mercury vapor exposure limit for employees or students do not exceed 750 ng/m(3)

Senator Kaplan concluded "This investigation, and legislation, are the first steps we need to take to understand just how serious and widespread of a problem we are facing. As potentially more schools are found to be out of compliance with the new exposure standard, I will work with my colleagues in the legislature to ensure that remediation takes place quickly and thoroughly, without placing undue burden on local taxpayers.