Brooklyn parents are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to resign over what they claim is the state’s failure to resolve toxic chemical contamination at P.S. 372 in Gowanus. Testing has continued to detect volatile organic compounds ahead of the new school year, according to the New York Post.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health have been tasked with addressing the contamination at the school, which serves roughly 450 students.
Testing in 2024 found chemical compounds in soil and air at both the school’s main building and annex, but the state determined that 219 First St. warranted intervention.
“If you cannot protect the children, faculty and staff of P.S. 372, you do not deserve to be governor of New York state,” parents said in the petition.
The DEC began addressing the problem in 2024 and a sub-slab depressurization system was installed the following year to remove gases from beneath the building and vent them outside.
Parents said they learned this summer that chemical levels remained elevated despite the mitigation efforts. The state and city Department of Education have said the building remains safe for students and staff.
The situation has raised broader concerns about environmental conditions in Gowanus, a neighborhood with decades of industrial pollution and numerous brownfield sites. A Con Edison facility with a history of environmental problems is located across from the school, while public records show a petroleum spill occurred at the school’s main building in 2004.
“It is horrifying that Kathy Hochul has forced pre-K and kindergarten children to breathe air contaminated with cancer-causing toxins for over two years while state agencies sat on their hands,” said Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County executive and a Republican running for New York governor. “Leaving our youngest, most vulnerable children in a toxic basement is an unforgivable betrayal.”
The DEC said in an Aug. 12 letter that heat recovery ventilators would be installed as an additional measure. The systems are designed to improve air circulation and filtration, but a notice issued Friday said they would not be in place when the school year begins.
Parents are continuing to call for additional cleanup, testing and clearer communication. Some families are considering transferring their children, while others say they are reluctant to leave because P.S. 372 provides specialized services and an inclusive classroom model that can be difficult to find elsewhere.
