Public Employee Press

Union speaks out on heliport fumes, noise at DOT

DC 37 members who work near a heliport in Manhattan are concerned about the possible ill effects of the exhaust fumes from helicopters landing there.

The union supports two bills before the City Council that would prohibit sightseeing helicopters from taking off from city-owned heliports if they do not meet federally-mandated noise standards.

Local 375 1st Vice President Michelle Keller-Ng and Assistant Director Susan Chin of the DC 37 Dept. of Political Action and Legislation testified on the helicopter problem at a Nov. 12 hearing before the City Council's Committee on Environmental Protection. Chin presented the testimony on behalf of Guille Mejia, director of DC 37's Safety and Health Dept.

Chin spoke out about the nearly 700 workers at the Dept. of Transportation's offices at 55 Water St., who for more than four years complained about the fumes from engine exhaust from the dozens of helicopters taking off and landing daily at the heliport across the street from their worksite in downtown Manhattan.

DC 37 members have reported to the union that they are experiencing nausea, headaches and eye and ear irritation caused by the toxic exhaust sucked into the building's ventilation system.

While some members have been relocated to other work locations, many remain assigned to 55 Water St., and continue to suffer from headaches and respiratory irritation during work. The union is very concerned about the long-term impact of this exposure on members' health, Chin said.

"Eliminating sightseeing helicopter traffic from the heliport will not completely solve this problem, but it will greatly reduce the exposures experienced by our members employed at DOT headquarters," said Chin.

The city has made an effort to address the situation, including two inspections by the state Dept. of Labor's Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau, environmental sampling and retro-fitting charcoal and ionization devices into the ventilation system.

In August, investigators from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) inspected spaces throughout the building and medical staff from the federal Centers for Disease Control interviewed more than 30 workers.

But the problem continues because the chemical levels from the exhaust remain below the established limit, despite advances in understanding the impact of these types of chemical exposures.

Local 375's Keller-Ng also spoke about members' health concerns before the committee.

"Complaints of poor air quality have been consistent and regularly reported," she said. "Many of the symptoms include breathing difficulties, skin and eye irritation and headaches."

While she acknowledged the cooperation with the Dept. of Transportation in meeting with a number of DC 37 locals representing workers affected by the heliport, Keller-Ng told the committee that the union is awaiting the results of additional air samplings and analysis by NIOSH. The DC 37 Safety and Health Dept. requested the tests.

"When we leave home for work, we all expect to return home, be with family and enjoy life," Keller-Ng. said. "Now, imagine while at work, a hazard you cannot see, touch or smell - causing untold damage on a daily basis."

— Mike Lee