City Says Marcy Houses Clear of Asbestos After Steam Leak Scare

New York City officials say air testing has come back clean at Brooklyn's Marcy Houses after a steam leak left asbestos-laden residue on exterior walls at two buildings in the Bedford-Stuyvesant complex. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the Department of Environmental Protection inspected 502 and 504 Marcy Ave. last Thursday, following weeks of resident complaints. The issue also knocked out heat and hot water for several buildings. Officials relocated four of 23 affected households through October 31, while a fifth family chose to stay with relatives. The city reported that all 24 air monitors placed in apartments along the impacted wall tested negative for asbestos as of Friday, as did samples from the daycare center, management office, and the exteriors of two other buildings. Heat and hot water were restored to the affected buildings late Thursday night and into early Friday morning. NYCHA spokesperson Andrew Sklar said testing of exterior areas will continue until remediation work is finished, even though interior results have so far all come back negative. The city has cleaned the sidewalk, nearby cars, and building facade, but work in the courtyard remains ongoing. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office did not respond to requests for comment.