PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ashley Williams, Member of the Public, on MSK Pavilion Project
2:19:11
·
136 sec
Ashley Williams, a concerned parent, testifies against the proposed Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) Pavilion project, highlighting potential health risks to children attending nearby schools during the construction period. She expresses worry about the long-term effects of dust and asbestos exposure on students, including her own son.
- Williams questions the effectiveness of proposed mitigation efforts and their applicability to protecting children.
- She acknowledges MSK's valuable work but argues that potentially creating a "cancer cluster" of children next to the hospital is unconscionable.
- Williams urges the council not to approve the rezoning application, emphasizing the need to prioritize children's safety and well-being over expanding MSK's "share of the cancer market".
Ashley Williams
2:19:11
Hello.
2:19:11
I wanna thank the counsel for recognizing me today.
2:19:16
This is my son who just turned 10.
2:19:18
And was so excited to come back to school this year.
2:19:21
He said, Mom, I can't wait to run track.
2:19:24
I'm gonna run the 800.
2:19:25
And instead of thinking, that's great, I thought, dear God, he's going to be huffing and puffing and trying to be practicing outside in an environment where he will most certainly inhale dust and asbestos from the demolition that will last for a year, not to mention construction that will go on for 6 years.
2:19:48
Now if we know the mitigation efforts involve hosing down cars and sidewalks and equipping our AC with special filters, what do I do with my child as he goes to school?
2:20:00
As he comes back from school, Do I hose him off?
2:20:05
Hold him, you know, put him in a hazmat suit?
2:20:08
Ridiculous questions?
2:20:10
I know.
2:20:11
But this is the position we're in.
2:20:14
We have all had our families touched by cancer.
2:20:17
My grandmother died at 63 from pancreatic cancer, and maybe if she did it MSK, she would have made it, but she did not.
2:20:24
That said, we know MSK does valuable work.
2:20:29
But if it turns out that their work, is created, is done in a building that creates a cancer cluster right next to them of our children, hundreds of children, that's unconscionable.
2:20:44
And I heard earlier on MSK saying we wanna increase our share of the cancer market.
2:20:50
Is that the way we wanna think about this?
2:20:52
We know you're doing great work.
2:20:54
This is not the way to do it.
2:20:56
Please, please ensure that there's a way to do this where the children are safe It's not about lip service.
2:21:03
It's about action.
2:21:05
We want our children to be able to learn, to play, to go to recess, and walk around the neighborhood, and not have their young lives destroyed.
2:21:13
Please do not approve this application for rezoning, It does not
UNKNOWN
2:21:16
It happens.
2:21:17
Expired.
Kevin C. Riley
2:21:18
Thank you.
Ashley Williams
2:21:19
It's not a it's not a not in my backyard situation.
2:21:22
It's about doing better by the school children and vegetables.
2:21:26
Thank you very much.
Kevin C. Riley
2:21:27
Next, we're gonna call on ox Shay Ganju, and I would just ask everyone if you could please keep it to 2 minutes because we have a lot of people online to testify.