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More (toxic?) dust drifts from 535 Carlton, alarming neighbors

Yesterday morning I started hearing from residents of Prospect Heights that dust from the 535 Carlton site was again drifting over the fence into their neighborhood, possibly posing serious hazards. It's not the first time.

Laticrete Supercap is used to finish new concrete. If it's SUPERCAP SC500 Concentrate, well, the warning is "Causes skin irritation. Causes serious eye damage. May cause an allergic skin reaction. May damage fertility or the unborn child by skin contact." Only the Primer Plus in the Supercap family lacks similar warnings.

During one phone conversation I heard a worker at the 535 Carlton site get asked, "Can you do something about the dust? People are walking down Carlton holding their jackets over their noses?"
Nothing happened quickly, I was told. The police were called, but it was out of their jurisdiction. A 311 call, on the holiday of Veterans Day, didn't lead to response from the Department of Buildings.

No consultant for Empire State Development, the state authority overseeing/shepherding the project, was apparently on site, nor was Greg Lynch, the staffer who during weekday hours is supposed to be the state's eyes and ears.

I tweeted to government agencies and the developer. Residents called the developer. About two hours, I was told, the work stopped. Dust was in people's hair, on their skin, and, presumably, in their lungs. Perhaps we'll hear more about this at the Atlantic Yards Community Development Corporation meeting Monday.




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