The New York Law School Vol. IV No.3 •
In Your Heart, You Know We're RJ&_ht
• April, 1987
Asbestos Contamination Found in Books-tore Gil Hollander Blamed; School Begins Clean-Up This article is based on reporting by Robert Goldman and Mark So/asz and was written by Mr. Goldman. The recent removal of asbestos from the basement area has focused attention on an old problem. It's an old problem because no one seems to know when the asbestos was put into the school buildings in the first place. The records aren't there, and no one remembers. The problem was highlighted when %he Beponer found out that Gil Hollander was locked out of his bookstore in February because school authorities feared the store was contaminated with asbestos. Several weeks after Mr. Hollander was locked out, the school contracted to conduct !1 clean up of exposed asbestos on a pipe running through the bookstore. Two pipes were cleaned in the book storage area but the school did not remove asbestos above a dropped ceiling in the bookstore, and only sealed and wrapped exposed asbestos in a maintenance room next to the store. (Barnes and Noble is taking over operation of the bookstore following the termination of Mr. Hollander's lease. Mr. Hollander had been at the school since 1974.) A member of NYC's Asbestos Control Board said there was still asbestos on the pipes in Gil ·Hollander's old bookstore. Barnes and Noble performed demolition work in the bookstore area between April 8th and April 10th.
A team from the Asbestos Control Board, part of New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, inspected the bookstore area on April 13th after Barnes and Noble completed demolition work. Under a new New York City law, effective April 1, an asbestos report must be filed with New York City authorities prior to the commencement of any demolition work. It is unknown whether such a report was filed in this instance. Director of Facilities Management George Hayes said_the asbestos above the dropped ceiling was "not loose, broken or friable [in such a condition that it poses an immediate danger]. They didn't w~t their workers exposed to it, nor do we." Mr. Hayes said the remaining asbestos would be encapsulated (the coating or spraying of asbestos-containing material with a sealant) or removed as soon as it poses an immediate danger. Dean of Finance and Administration Jane Helm said Electro- Analytical Inc., the firm hired by the school to monitor air sampling in the basement in February, has just completed a survey of the school to determine if there are any other asbestos-related problems. Jennifer Carey, industrial hygienist at Electro-Analytical Inc., said preliminary results indicated there were no problems except in part of the subbasement area.
In her report, Ms. Carey accused Mr. Hollander of gross negligence. The school has asked Mr. Hollander to pay for the $27,000 clean up. Mr. Hollander said he was never given notice that there was asbestos in his working area during the years he leased the premises. Mr. Hollander said that for years he
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Pipeline in bookstore with area of exposed asbestos wrapping had told Phil King, former director of facilities management who left the school in January, that the bookstore was covered with dust and that it was difficult to breathe. Mr. Hollander said Mr. King did not act on his request for a
Hollander Ousted as Scnool's Bookseller By Mark Solasz tribution to the school in order to mainGil Hollander, owner of the MJ and K tain his position here. Company, is no longer the bookstore Dean of Administration and Finance operator at New York Law School. Last Jane Helm said that in September of December, Mr. Hollander was given 1985, shortly after she was hired, "Dean notice that, after 15 years at New York Simon asked for [my] recommendation Law School, his lease would not be on this long-term contract." Dean Helm renewed. The school contracted with said that she would never approve a Barnes and Noble, to take over opera- long-term contract because "you have to tion of the bookstore beginning April 1. be able to review the vendor's In January of 1985, Dean Simon ask- services... regardless of the amount." ed Mr. Hollander to contribute $112,500 Dean Simon then returned Mr. to the school to help renovate the Hollander's first $7,500 installment. cafeteria. The cost of renovations was Mr. Hollander believed the $112,500 allegedly $250,000. There was either an, contribution was in addition to his noragreement or a proposal whereby Mr. mal rental payment. Dean Helm said it Hollander would pay the school was in lieu of them. Nevertheless, it is $1)2,500 in fifteen annual payments of reasonable to believe that the contribu$7,500. Mr. Hollander sent a memo to tion was in addition to Mr. Hollander's Dean Simon, dated January 28, 1985, in · monthly rental payments because the anwhich he expressed the intention of this nual payments of the contribution were agreement. lower than the annual"rent he was paying Mr. Hollander said that contributing at that time. Why would Dean Simon more than $100,000 to renovate the ask for a lower contribution from Mr. cafeteria would not sell an additional Hollander for a long-term contract? Mr. Emmanuel or another bagel and cream Hollander said the contribution was to cheese. However, Mr. Hollander said he be made payable to New York Law was willing to make a long-term con- School and,the monthly rents were to be
clean-up. In January, Mr. Hollander noticed white dust particles covering his desk and other areas of the bookstore. He contacted Stillwell and Gladding, a New York-based firm of analytical and consulting chemists, which conducted a survey of the bookstore using two air sampling devices. fte Beporter was unable to reach
made payable to ~he SBA. The school told Mr. Hollander in October, 1986, that it was placing out bids to other companies. Dean Helm said, in a memo to Mr. Hollander, that NYLS's actions ''in no way reflect any dissatisfaction with the services you have provided." The school made' its decision to terminate Mr. Hollander's lease before the student services committee voted in the late January, to recommend renewal of Mr. Hollander's lease. Dean Helm said that, "There were no disagreements over the bookstore until Gil's bid came in and it was not as favorable [as Barnes and Noble's]." She added that the school's main goal was to give the students the best service at the lowest cost. Mr. Hollander claimed that in March, 1986, he spoke to Dean Helm about the copiers in the school and that she told him not to invest in new copiers because she didn't want him to make a capital investment and then get stuck in case the school decided not to renew his copier Continued on page 6
Mr. King because school authorities would not release his home telephone number. Leonard Maltese, Under-Director of the firm hired by Mr. Hollander, wrote in his January 6th report that the results of his survey "represent a condition which warrants an investigation for possible health hazard. Also, the high volume sampler filter contained an abundance of large asbestos fibers. It Continued on page 4
INSIDE New SBA Fund Policy _ _ _ _ _ _ 3
AJumnus Indicted _ _ _ _ 3 Student Runs For ~mbly _ _ _ _ _ _ 5 Parking Policy _ _ _ _ _ 6 Media Law Update _ _ _ _? Pine's Music Pictures - - - 13