New Report Reveals NYC Failed To Inspect Thousands Of Buildings, 22,000 Children For Lead Exposure
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – An alarming report reveals New York City failed to protect children from exposure to lead.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer says 2,700 children tested positive for lead and city agencies failed to be proactive.
Between 2013 and 2018, more than 9,600 buildings with documented cases of lead were never even inspected.
The disturbing report added that 22,000 children under the age of three who should have been tested for lead poisoning were never tested.
Last summer, it was revealed that more than 800 children under the age of six living in New York City Housing Authority units tested positive for elevated levels of lead between 2012 and 2016, far more than was first believed by city officials.
READ THE REPORT: September 2019: New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer's Investigation into Child Lead Exposure
In October of 2018, CBS2's Marcia Kramer exposed smoking gun emails that showed Mayor Bill de Blasio misled the public about the extent of lead poisoning in public housing.
Last month, de Blasio was blasted again by city officials who say the mayor and schools chancellor have ignored repeated requests for thorough lead testing in schools — not only classrooms, which are being remediated, but libraries, bathrooms, gyms, auditoriums, cafeterias, stairwells, and resource rooms.