Menin Announces the City Council’s Coming Oversight Hearing and Previews Future Legislative Solutions
NEW YORK, NY – New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Council Members, and community leaders convened at Lenox Hill Hospital to voice the concerns of Upper East Side residents regarding the City’s response to the ongoing Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. With 74 confirmed cases and four related deaths, community leaders called for clearer public education and notifications during public health emergencies, greater transparency with both residents and elected officials, stronger enforcement of cooling tower testing requirements, and assurances that all building owners are complying with cooling tower reporting laws.
Lenox Hill Hospital has treated dozens of Legionnaires’ disease patients and has served as a source of care and reliable information for the Upper East Side community during a period of heightened concern.
“This outbreak has been a profound tragedy for our community, and we mourn the lives lost while keeping all those affected and their families in our thoughts,” said City Council Speaker Julie Menin. “New Yorkers deserve clear, timely information about the risks in their community and confidence that every cooling tower is complying with the law. Oversight needs to be done to examine the City’s response, strengthen enforcement and public notifications, and determine what future legislation is needed to ensure New Yorkers can be reliably informed and proactively protected from future health emergencies.”
Speaker Menin announced that the City Council will hold an oversight hearing in September to examine the Administration’s response to the outbreak and identify additional steps needed to protect New Yorkers. The Council plans to review the Health Department’s communication and notification procedures, and the enforcement of the enhanced testing and reporting requirements passed by the Council last year. The Council will consider further legislation to strengthen public education and resident notifications and require the Health Department to establish a hotline during peak summer months so New Yorkers can receive clear guidance about potential exposure and health risks.
The video of the announcement can be found here, and photos here.
“This summer, four New Yorkers have lost their lives to -Legionnaires’ disease, a preventable illness, and we must do everything possible to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” said Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Committee on Health. “As climate change brings hotter summers, we must strengthen our efforts to prevent the spread of Legionella. Following last year’s outbreak, I passed legislation to improve cooling tower oversight and give the City the tools it needs to protect public health. Now, we need oversight to understand where compliance gaps remain and ensure these protections are working as intended.”
“As a nurse before I came to public service, I know how fast a public health threat can turn deadly if it isn’t caught early,” said Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, Chair of Committee on Hospitals. “With four New Yorkers dead and with dozens more sick, due to the latest Legionnaires’ outbreak, we must act. This bill makes sure the city is finding untested cooling towers before people get hurt, not after. I thank Speaker Menin for her leadership and I’m proud to stand with her on this.”
“A public health emergency resulting in New Yorkers’ deaths is a tragedy. We owe it to every family affected to take decisive action to prevent future outbreaks,” said Council Member Virginia Maloney. “Public health depends on public trust. I along with my Council colleagues will advance reforms that will strengthen the City’s response to future health emergencies by improving transparency through a real-time public health response database, requiring immediate proactive disinfection of cooling towers, and strengthening inspection capacity to better protect New Yorkers.”
“No New Yorker should be left in the dark when it comes to a public health risk that could affect their safety. Hundreds of my constituents at Haven Plaza have been exposed to Legionella in their building’s water system, and three New Yorkers have died already from the disease,” said Council Member Harvey Epstein. “Access to timely, accurate public health information isn’t optional, it’s essential. We must ensure residents receive the information they need to protect themselves and their families, and we must strengthen transparency and accountability so communities are never left wondering whether their health is at risk. I’m proud to stand with Speaker Menin and her efforts to increase public education around Legionella and how to protect themselves.”
“Last Wednesday, Community Board 8 unanimously passed a resolution, something that doesn’t happen often, calling for the reinstatement of DYDC,” said Valerie Mason, Chair, of Manhattan Community. ”Since the Administration’s announcement, we have heard nothing but accolades about DYCD’s performance and utter frustration from Parents. Parents need to know their kids are in good hands, and DYCD had their trust.”
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