Roosevelt Island residents raise concerns over steam plant demolition | amNewYork

"The City said it invoked emergency procedures to raze the building as quickly as possible to prevent it from potentially collapsing. Those emergency procurements allowed it to bypass certain environmental oversight and community notifications under SEQRA, a much more rigorous process. Residents who oppose the demolition say building violations suggest the City let the building fall into disrepair and is using an emergency pretext to argue speedy demolition is the only way to protect the public without exploring other options."

"Demolition of a steam plant in Chicago, residents said, led to illness, and the process is less rigorous than what Cornell University did when it demolished a hospital built in the same era as the steam plant and built a new campus on the island over a decade ago nearby. As a result, the demolition of a defunct steam plant, near playgrounds, a daycare, a recreation field and thousands of residents, and near an area some already call Asthma Alley, has ignited a huge wave of trepidation rather than thanks."

"I'm just worried about the safety of it done with the age of the building as far as the environmental concerns, Miles said. I would honestly consider that a concern for anything in New York that is probably older than 1950. The plant, which opened in 1939 and was decommissioned in 2014, contains everything from lead paint to"

A defunct steam plant on Roosevelt Island is being prepared for demolition, with two over-200-foot smokestacks nearby. The city says it invoked emergency procedures to raze the structure quickly to prevent potential collapse, allowing it to bypass parts of environmental oversight and community notifications under SEQRA. Residents and some legislators oppose the demolition, citing building violations and arguing the city allowed the plant to deteriorate and is using an emergency pretext to justify speed. Comparisons are made to other demolitions, including a Chicago steam plant tied to reported illness and a Cornell University hospital demolition that followed a more rigorous process. The demolition is near playgrounds, a daycare, recreation fields, and thousands of residents, in an area associated with asthma concerns.

Read at www.amny.com