Thousands of Schools in New York Without Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Potential Tragedy Looms for Millions of k-12 Students

  Assemblyman Marcos Crespo Calls on Governor to Amend School Technology Bonding Proposal and Fund Monoxide Detector Installations in over 6,500 Schools Statewide

  Today, Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo called on Governor Cuomo to take affirmative action and provide school districts across New York State with the funding needed to retrofit schools with carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.  "Last December, Governor Cuomo signed into law legislation I authored which called on the State Education Department to study how to fund the retrofitting of our schools with carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. That study is due by the end of July of this year. However, it is my strong belief that we can not wait for a report and then wait longer to take action on this real and deadly threat to our children and school staff," stated Crespo.

According to Crespo, "Two weeks ago 30 children in Springfield, Minnesota had to be taken to a hospital emergency room because of a carbon monoxide leak in their school. This weekend the same poison gas killed a restaurant manager and injured 27 others.  On June 18, 2013, the same day the Legislature passed my legislation (A.7433-A), an elementary school in Yonkers was evacuated due to a carbon monoxide leak. This past October, a Long Island elementary school needed to be evacuated as well due to the release of this poison."

The leak was discovered by accident when the local fire department responded to a natural gas leak in the school.  "A potential horrible tragedy was prevented. However, almost 3.3 million k-12 students in New York attend school buildings without a monoxide detector.  This should shock every parent into pushing school officials and the State Education Department in immediate action," stated Crespo.

"Just a few weeks before Governor Cuomo signed Assembly Bill 7433-A into law, another school in New York had to be evacuated due to a carbon monoxide leak. It is clear to me that our children are in imminent danger and a tragedy is on the horizon. That is why I introduced three separate bills in 2013 on this issue.  

One bill required immediate funding for school districts for the installation of carbon monoxide (CO) detectors (A3572). The other required school districts to include the cost of such installation when they bond for athletic field and building improvements (A7247).  "Each year dozens of school districts borrow money for such improvements. Adding the relatively small cost for retrofitting their schools with carbon monoxide detectors is a practical and common sense approach at a time when school officials are concerned with 'unfunded mandates,'" stated Crespo.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas which can cause nausea, headaches and dizziness. If it is allowed to build up in enclosed spaces, it can be deadly. Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors represent an inexpensive and effective way to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning, especially in children, who unlike adults, have higher respiratory rates until they reach adulthood.

Crespo stated, "We have over 4,200 public schools and another 2,500 private school buildings in New York State that were built prior to a 2007 law that required all new schools to have carbon monoxide detectors installed. We have been fortunate that a tragedy has not occurred sooner." He added, "This winter's severe cold weather has required our schools heating systems to be on overdrive and the potential for a carbon monoxide leak has increased. It is clear we can no longer wait for the report on funding options required by my legislation."

"I urge the Governor to take advantage of the current budget negotiations to address this critically important and life-impacting problem for our children and families," Crespo asserted.

These schools buildings house over 3 million school-age children daily during every academic school year. All these schools operate on fossil fuels which produce carbon monoxide (CO) as a byproduct of combustion.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), every year, some 500 Americans die from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and over 20,000 have to be treated for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.  "Immediate action is needed to protect our children from such exposure while in school," declared Crespo. "Everyone recognizes that carbon monoxide kills if not responded to immediately. The most serious characteristic of carbon monoxide (CO) is that, unlike smoke or natural gas, it is virtually undetectable, even when someone is awake and alert."