Brooklyn parents demand Governor Hochul resign over toxic air at PS 372 near Gowanus Canal
Parents of PS 372 students in Brooklyn are urging Governor Kathy Hochul to quit, saying state agencies let cancer-linked chemicals linger in the school’s annex for over two years.
Brooklyn parents of children at PS 372 have gathered over 400 signatures demanding Governor Kathy Hochul resign, alleging her administration allowed toxic vapors from the Gowanus Canal to infiltrate the school’s annex for more than two years. Air samples revealed cancer-causing compounds such as benzene and xylene, and a sub-slab depressurization system was installed a year after the issue was first noted. The Department of Conservation and Department of Health are tasked with remediation, yet heat-recovery ventilators intended for extra filtration will not be operational by the start of the 2026-27 school year.
Walter Hang of the Environmental Health Research Group says only excavating the contaminated soil can fully resolve the problem. Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman condemned the situation as a betrayal of children’s health, while the Department of Education says it is working with state partners to ensure a safe learning environment when school opens.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights how environmental hazards in schools can become a political flashpoint and affect vulnerable students.
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