NEW YORK - A new report from the Department of Investigation is accusing the city's public housing authority of failing to follow proper regulations when removing lead paint from its buildings.
The report claims that between 2013 and 2018, NYCHA did not have an EPA-Certified supervisor on hand to ensure the work was done safely, with no exposure to the tenants to lead.
This investigation began in 2017 after a whistleblower reported to the DOI that the manager of the NYCHA Lead Unit pressured him to falsely sign lead abatement paperwork for work that he did not supervise.
The report alleges that two managers of NYCHA's lead removal program filed hundreds of such documents.
In a statement, NYCHA says it “has made significant systemic changes to its lead abatement program. NYCHA continues to work with the Federal Monitor to bring the Authority into compliance, but also to rebuild a culture of employee service and accountability; regain resident, employee, and public trust; and ensure this never happens again."