Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Sponsored
The Real Story Of Lead Poisoning In NYC: A Free, Live Event On 12/16
Article sponsored by
Published Dec 9, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Article sponsored by
Published Dec 9, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It’s a been a big year in the battle against childhood lead poisoning in NYC—and, next Monday, December 16, WNYC is holding a free event about what the city can do next.
In January, Mayor de Blasio launched his LeadFreeNYC campaign, promising to eliminate lead poisoning in the city by 2029. And in March, the City Council passed ten new bills strengthening the city’s existing lead laws.
But then, an investigation by WNYC and Gothamist found that those protocols largely ignored the very buildings where we concentrate our young people: the city’s public schools. Our reporting found peeling lead paint in four elementary schools and lead-dust levels up to a thousand times the city’s current safety standards.
The story prompted the Department of Education to conduct citywide inspections, revealing over 1,800 3-K through first-grade classrooms with active lead-paint hazards in need of remediation, and led to a total overhaul of school policy and a rewriting of the city’s health code.
Bring your questions to The Greene Space on December 16 and join WNYC host Kai Wright and editor/reporter Christopher Werth for an in-depth look at what’s been called the nation’s longest running (but totally preventable) public-health crisis.
Then, we’ll be in conversation about where the city should go from here with de Blasio’s senior advisor for citywide lead prevention, Kathryn Garcia; the head of Montefiore Hospital’s Lead Poisoning Treatment and Prevention Program, Morri Markowitz; and the attorney who wrote much of NYC’s current lead-protection laws, Matthew Chachère. Afterwards, we’ll be joined by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson to talk about what additional legislation is needed to bring the number of children exposed to zero.
The event starts at 7 p.m. Admission is free!
Tagged
lead
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
Before they attempt to fend off LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks will have a chance to show off their winning mentality through their tunnel fits.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 19, 2026
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .