ALBANY — A pair of state lawmakers want the MTA to start getting the lead out of its stations and above-ground infrastructure.
Legislation set to be introduced Monday by Sen. Jose Peralta, (D-Queens) and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) would require the MTA to survey its facilities for lead paint and determine how much abatement is required.
The bill would give the agency a year to complete the study and report its findings to both houses of the Legislature, Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio.
Peralta, a member of the Senate’s maverick Independent Democratic Conference, said the falling paint chips pose a health threat to people underneath the structures, especially in heavily congested areas like Roosevelt Ave. in Queens, which is underneath the No. 7 Line.
“Because Roosevelt Ave. is such a magnet for street vendors, you have these chips that could potentially fall into the food that’s being cooked,” Peralta said. “It could really endanger people’s lives.”
“We want to find out if there are potential health issues,” added Dinowitz.
The bill comes just days after leaders of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades reported that there were dangerous levels of lead in paint chips falling from the No. 7 line in Queens.
Peralta, however, said he’s been arguing with the MTA over the paint on its overhead tracks for most of his 15-year career as a lawmaker.
“It’s been going on like this for a while,” said Peralta, who is pushing to pass the bill before the Legislature ends its current session in June.
MTA spokeswoman Beth DeFalco said the agency does not respond to pending legislation but stressed that the safety of customers and the surrounding community is a top priority.
“The MTA has an aggressive repainting program across the entire system which includes proactively scraping and repainting our structures,” DeFalco said. “Nearly all (the) Flushing line has been repainted in recent years and the remaining 3.1-mile stretch will be done as part of the current Capital Program.”
