632 Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248 (518) 455-4477 FAX (518) 455-4599
District Office: 619 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211 (718 383-7474 FAX (718) 383-1576
THE ASSEMBLY Chairman
STATE OF NEW YORK Committee on Codes
ALBANY COMMITTEES
Rules
Ways & Means
Election Law
JOSEPH R. LENTOL
Assemblyman 50th
District
Kings County
February 2, 2015
Commissioner Emily Lloyd
New York City Department of Environmental Protection
59-17 Junction Boulevard
Flushing, NY 11373
Commissioner Mary Bassett
New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
42-09 28th
Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
Dear Commissioners,
I am writing to you regarding this weekend’s CitiStorage fire, which is located within my
Assembly District. I write to you jointly because I believe that jurisdiction over the health
and environmental concerns that remain in the fire’s aftermath fall to both respective
agencies. As you may know, CitiStorage held paper records for various New York City,
New York State, and private agencies. The amount of paper records stored there fueled
the fire for hours upon hours and required an incredible effort by the New York City Fire
Department to contain. During the duration of the fire, portions of my district were
covered in a plume of black smoke, charred paper, soot; and, foul odors ran rampant.
News reports have already cited this fire to be one of the worst in New York City. It is
still smoldering as I write this letter, and odors continue to permeate the area.
I am extremely concerned about the adverse health effects this fire has had on my
constituents. Residents in the area of the fire were issued a strong warning to stay indoors
and close the windows to their home. The pointedly strong wording about avoiding being
outdoors makes me very uneasy about the potential for adverse health effects on local
residents. My district has long had a history of environmental catastrophes that has
resulted in adverse health effects and I am concerned that this fire will follow suit.
632 Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248 (518) 455-4477 FAX (518) 455-4599
District Office: 619 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211 (718 383-7474 FAX (718) 383-1576
I respectfully request that any and all air and health monitoring and sampling should be
implemented as soon as possible to ensure there is no threat to residents or anyone else
that had been exposed. The public has a right to know about the potential hazards and
health risks that they may face. They should not suffer from environmental hazards that
were no fault of their own. I look forward to hearing from you and how the health of the
residents will be protected.
Sincerely,
Joseph R. Lentol
