City education officials found mold and asbestos in a storm-damaged Queens school that was cleared for students to return to last week — but only after parents insisted they check.
It took scores of complaints from parents and meetings at the school before officials agreed to conduct tests for moisture and other hazards at PS 114 in Belle Harbor, which had been shuttered for more than a month after Hurricane Sandy.
Late today, DOE officials quietly posted findings online of subsequent tests showing that areas of mold and asbestos in the auditorium and a nearby stairwell require removal.
Additionally, two of 14 water fountains showed elevated levels of copper, and one of those also dispensed water that was considered too cloudy to drink.
In a letter to parents, DOE Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm insisted the elevated levels were “not unusual for safe drinking water that had not been operable for a few weeks” even though inspectors recommended the two fountains be immediately shut down.
Grimm committed to removing the mold and asbestos over the coming two weekends.