Zhuang questions DEP and DOB asbestos enforcement at 2501 86th Street
Council Member Susan Zhuang asks how DOB and DEP safety requirements are enforced, citing 2501 86th Street where a fraudulent asbestos report was filed and demolition proceeded; Tigani and Shamash say DEP identified false documents, issued a stop work order, and DOB followed suit until a new ACP-5 was issued.
So next I'm going to call up Councilmember Zhuang, followed by Joseph, and then I will see if any other colleagues have questions, and then I'll come back for round two.
Thank you, Chair.
And also, I want to thank Commissioner working very hard, give us a very long testimony.
And also, I have some questions.
How are DOB and DEP safety requirements enforced?
So at different steps in the process, there may be DEP reviews, checkbox item in the approval of plans or permitting process.
Most commonly known is the ones referred to as species.
And so those are items that we need to get verification that those applications are submitted, are reviewed both by their staff and our staff before an application is allowed to move forward toward approval or permitting.
Who are responsible checks whether or not safe protocol are followed?
Like in my district, we have 21, 2501 86th Street.
We have been raised a question about asbestos for
couple years and then finally we got a stop order because we know the building was from
1990 before 1990 definitely has a spet a spet still there and then there's a fraudulent report was submitted and then finally after
months community calling for investigation.
Finally, in April, you guys did the investigation saying there's asbestos there.
But the report as asbestos is from a couple years ago.
Why the report suddenly you find is fraudulent?
So I remember in March during the prelim hearing, you had raised these issues and provided us with leather.
And you're right, a couple of weeks later, we were able to review.
And when we found that there were conditions that need to be corrected, we work with.
We worked with our partners at DEP to see that was resolved.
I don't remember all the details of the issue, but I'm happy to come back with more details if you want to have.
Very specifically, DEP reviewed the documents that...
That were submitted as part of that letter, and they were the agency that identified that there were false documents filed with that filing, and they issued the stop work order on the site.
Once they issued the stop work order on the site, Department of Buildings followed suit, and
waited for a new ACP-5 to be issued by DEP.
Once that happened, we were able to lift the stop work order.
But we followed the stop work order issued by DEP.
Okay, thank you.