Today, Representatives Jerrold Nadler, Yvette Clarke, Charlie Rangel, Eliot Engel, Carolyn Maloney, Joe Crowley, Jose Serrano, Nydia Velazquez, Steve Israel, Gregory Meeks, Hakeem Jeffries, and Grace Meng raised serious concerns about the need for more aggressive – and better coordinated – mold abatement in parts of New York City that were flooded by Hurricane Sandy.  In a joint letter to Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the delegation officially requested federal oversight and aid with assessment, removal and remediation of mold, in coordination with property owners and local agencies.  Just three months after the devastation of Sandy, thousands of homes and buildings throughout New York City still have dangerously high levels of mold, often rendering dwellings uninhabitable.

“The residents of the affected storm ravaged areas are in a state of an emergency,” wrote the delegation.  “Environmental contamination has not been adequately addressed, and could lead to serious health concerns such as allergic reactions, asthma, other lung related illnesses as well as compromised immune systems and lower resilience to illness.  The longer this problem remains ignored by the federal government, the higher the risk of danger and expense to the health of our constituents and communities.”

Below and attached is the full text of the letter:

February 8, 2013

The Honorable Shaun Donovan
Secretary
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20410

Dear Secretary Donovan:

We have serious concerns about the lack of resources that have been provided for mold abatement in the neighborhoods flooded in Hurricane Sandy.  We write to you in your capacity as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and as Chairman of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of New York home and small business owners whose property was devastated, and depend on us to support them in this difficult period of time.  The extensive disaster-related damage to their homes and businesses has resulted in the potential for exposure to hazardous mold.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), parts of structures that have been flooded for more than forty-eight hours and cannot be completely dried remain a source of mold and must be removed.  As you know, the disruption of electrical power severely inhibited the extraction of water – the pumping and drying of homes and businesses required several weeks to complete.  As a result, the damaged homes and businesses were saturated, resulting in extensive mold contamination within walls and on structures and interior surfaces, causing health-related problems and increasing costs of repairs.  These individuals are in need of assistance with the remediation and repair of their damaged homes and businesses.

These homeowners and small business owners require assistance with, but not limited to, the following:

•    The assessment of mold contamination, and reimbursement for all costs related to remediation – either through force account or a contractor.

•    Removal of contaminated wall board, dry-wall, gypsum board, plaster (or similar wall finishes), books and paper, carpet and backing or floor finishes, ceiling tiles, cellulose insulation, fiberglass insulation, hard surfaces, porous flooring) linoleum, ceramic tile and vinyl), window drapes,  and ceilings or permanent light fixtures.

•    Coordinated remediation of common spaces, and of contaminated heating and ventilation systems (including ductwork), plumbing, and air conditioning systems, or other mechanical equipment.

We are also troubled by reports that some homes and businesses might have been deemed ineligible for assistance from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), particularly as it relates to mold abatement.  It is our understanding that mold remediation is an eligible expense, at least in certain circumstances, and it has been addressed in previous natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina through the use of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding.

Therefore, we respectfully request that you make every effort to urge and assist local governments of Sandy-affected areas to implement mold remediation programs in order to help impacted homeowners and small businesses.

The residents of the affected storm ravaged areas are in a state of an emergency.  Environmental contamination has not been adequately addressed, and could lead to serious health concerns such as allergic reactions, asthma, other lung related illnesses as well as compromised immune systems and lower resilience to illness.  The longer this problem remains ignored by the federal government, the higher the risk of danger and expense to the health of our constituents and communities.

We thank you in advance for your consideration of this matter.  As you are aware, time is of the essence.  It is our hope to receive a written response from you informing us of next steps for addressing this emerging crisis.  If you or members of your staff have any comments, questions, or concerns regarding this immediate and important matter, please do not hesitate to contact the offices of the undersigned.

Very truly yours,

Yvette Clarke
Jerrold Nadler
Charlie Rangel
Eliot Engel
Carolyn Maloney
Joe Crowley
Jose Serrano
Nydia Velazquez
Steve Israel
Gregory Meeks
Hakeem Jeffries
Grace Meng

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