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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Zulai Velasquez from Jacob Riis Houses on Environmental and Health Concerns
4:10:09
ยท
154 sec
Zulai Velasquez, a resident of Jacob Riis houses, testified about serious environmental and health concerns affecting her community due to ongoing construction projects and inadequate cleanup efforts. She highlighted issues such as contaminated soil, water shutoffs, pet illnesses, and respiratory problems among residents.
- Velasquez called for immediate action to clean up contaminated areas, rather than waiting for the resilience project to end in two years.
- She reported that complaints to 311 are being rerouted to NYCHA, which has failed to follow up or advocate for residents.
- The testimony emphasized the need for better communication, health protections, and accountability from city agencies regarding the impact of construction projects on public housing residents.
Zulai Velasquez
4:10:09
Hi.
4:10:09
My name is Zulai.
4:10:11
I live in the North Side of Jacob Riis houses, a designated brown sites brown field site.
4:10:18
Despite knowing this, our politicians and resilience projects have put residents, visitors, and pets in increased risk.
4:10:26
I am here today to ask why must we wait two more years until the resilience project ends to clean up our contaminated grass and soil?
4:10:36
Why blame they blame they blame the old gas manufacture plant for potential leakage mixing with salt water from hurricane Sandy.
4:10:46
But no one is addressing the bigger issue.
4:10:49
Our entire development underwent a rat abatement yet no cleanup follow-up.
4:10:55
Meanwhile, our water is repeatedly shut off as they cut into our pipes for the East Coastal Resilience Project.
4:11:04
Since 2022, the residents' pets have fallen ill after the arsenic scare.
4:11:10
People have died with arsenic in their bloods, and our pets are suffering with allergies from allergies to death.
4:11:17
Our buildings shake, streets crack cracking and construction debris not only coats our homes but also worsens has worsened the resp has worsened respiratory issues.
4:11:32
NYCHA residents along sorry.
4:11:35
NYCHA residents along the East Coast, the East River, sorry, the East River aren't given basic warnings, clean water or air purifiers.
4:11:47
I ask that the funds funds be put aside to protect our health and safety.
4:11:53
We refuse to be ignored anymore or sacrificed due to the resilience projects.
4:11:59
We are not being heard when we call 311 complaints are rerouted to NYCHA which failed to follow-up and advocate for us.
4:12:09
May I also say that the sewer the holes that they are putting for the bridge that they are creating are being left open, the sewer holes, and that is affecting everyone.
4:12:20
And we don't know how many years that pollution is gonna last or how far is expanding.
4:12:27
And it smells.
4:12:28
We all have migraines and our cell service is always being interrupted.
4:12:34
The construction, I don't know if it's related to the construction but there's so many residents complaining about the same issue.
4:12:41
There has to be some