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2016-2018 COMMON COUNCIL

OFFICERS

JEFFREY R. ESCOBAR, President


LYNN SHINOZAKI, Vice-President
F. SCOTT PIRO, Secretary
BAFODE DRAME, Treasurer

COMMON COUNCIL MEMBERS


Southtown September 24, 2018
Sharon Lee Williams
Janet Falk Ms. Susan Rosenthal
Melissa Wade President and Chief Operating Officer
Mickey Rindler
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
David Evans
Jim Livornese 591 Main Street
New York, NY 10044
Rivercross
Laura Hussey Re: September 14 Meeting re Quality Concerns of RIOC Maintained Public Fountains
Island House
After our meeting on Sept. 14 to discuss the Roosevelt Island drinking fountain water
Adib Mansour
testing results, it came to our attention that the full 79-page water testing report
Andrew Giacolone
completed by Long Island Analytics was never disclosed to us. While you gave us two
Rossana Ceruzzi
double-sided copied pages from that report with the "Volatiles" results of the Capobianco
fountains buried inside, there was no executive summary attached as a face page and
Roosevelt Landing
Cynthia Ahn
we were not afforded an opportunity to look thoroughly at these pages, either in
Shirley Coley
preparation for or during, the session. Nor was it fully disclosed to us that the Healthy
Dimaura Cole
Buildings report which was provided at the meeting was the first and not the second set
of testing. Neither the "Volatiles" results nor the findings that there were coliforms in
Westview fountains in Southpoint Park and Lighthouse Park were discussed at all.
Erin Feely-Nahem
The purpose of the meeting was for RIOC to fully disclose and report to us and the
Manhattan Park community as to RIOC's findings regarding the water systems and water testing.
Christopher Gassman It was not to be an exercise where community attendees were to sift through the reports
Shuang Yu on the spot, identify all the problems, and ask questions about them. Based on what
had happened during the meeting and what we understand now, the community can
Manhattan Park 2-4 RR only surmise that RIOC did not want to discuss and fully disclose the aforementioned
results with the public. It is small wonder that the bloggers on the Island believe that
Octagon RIOC has deliberately kept the most damaging information from us and the community,
Andrea Jones especially since that is exactly what happened.
Tapan Parikh
With regard to the total coliforms positive tests, during the session Dr. Sokol of the New
York State Department of Environmental Protection stated that it was not unusual for
ALTERNATES total coliforms to be high when pipes had been turned off for a significant period of time
Island House and there was standing water in them. In July, however, after RIOC released an
1st Alternate: Lydia Tang
announcement saying the fountains had been turned off, both of ourselves, Rossana
2nd Alternate: Robert Manukyan
3rd Alternate: Frank Farance
Ceruzzi and Mickey Rindler, visited Southpoint Park on behalf of the Island Services
Committee and found that, in fact, the fountains were on and operational. The water
fountains were never turned off as represented. Therefore, we demand that the
fountains with positive coliform tests in both parks be turned off immediately and
that they be retested for bacteria next spring before they are commissioned for
public use. Similarly, we insist that the fountain at Blackwell House not be turned
back on until it is retested and certified as safe.

Concerning the high levels of methylene chloride found in the fountains at Capobianco
Field, Dr. Sokol, in his letter of August 17, also indicated that the detected levels were
likely coming from glue to connect plastic piping, which we assume was what was used

Roosevelt Island Station, P.O. Box 298, New York, New York 10044
to construct or repair the water system in this field. This is very alarming to us because,
if that is the case, then the sprinkler system water had the chemical as well and copious
amounts of it were disseminated onto the field regularly. Hence, we are extremely
concerned that even those using the field who did not drink from the water fountain were
also exposed to this volatile potential carcinogen which can enter the body
through the skin and, since it is volatile, the lungs. Moreover, chemicals generally
leech out in an exponential fashion over time, meaning that the levels being measured
now are, no doubt, much, much lower than those that were present soon after the actual
contamination commenced.

In light of both recently discovered information, the results of our meeting and the above,
we demand that

1. RIOC identify the source of the methylene chloride and inform RIRA and the
public. If it is determined to likely be the glue used to connect pipes we demand
to know when the work was performed and who did it.
2. RIOC inform RIRA and the public as to how and when you plan to correct the
problem or replace the water system and what steps will be taken to prevent
such contamination in the future.

To say that we and the community are severely disappointed with the disposition of our
meeting and the actions of RIOC, and that all of our and the community's questions were
answered during the September 14 meeting, is a severe understatement. Categorizing
our September 14 meeting and the events that have transpired after as truthful and
comforting is nothing more than pure spin on the part of RIOC on an already worsening
and alarming situation.

We await your prompt response on these matters.

Sincerely,

Rossana Ceruzzi & Mickey Rindler


Co-Chairs, RIRA Island Services Committee

Jeffrey R. Escobar
President, Roosevelt Island Residents Association

Roosevelt Island Residents Association, Roosevelt Island Station, P.O. Box 341, New York, New York 10044

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cc:

New York State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright


New York State Senator Jose Serano
New York City Council Member Ben Kallos
New York City Public Advocate Letitia James
Manhattah Borough President Gale Brewer

Roosevelt Island Residents Association, Roosevelt Island Station, P.O. Box 341, New York, New York 10044

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Roosevelt Island Residents Association, Roosevelt Island Station, P.O. Box 298, New York, New York 10044

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