....May 15, 11:48 AM
	Two New Schools Set By Joseph Orovic The City released Requests For Proposals for the construction of two new schools in the borough this week. One school is the controversial Maspeth High School, passed by the City Council in early April despite opposition from Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village). The other is a school in Long Island City that would house pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. The RFP for the Maspeth’s new high school comes in the face of an ongoing remediation battle, after concerns of the proposed site’s contamination levels raised concern within the community. While the School Construction Authority has made assurances that the site would be properly handled and ventilated, Crowley has called upon the State’s Department of Environmental Conservation to make a third-party determination on the site’s suitability. “We’ve reached out to the DEC and we think it’s important that this site get a clean bill of health,” said Lydon Sleeper, Crowley’s chief of staff. Should the DEC suggest remediation, it will happen, Lydon said. The controversy sprouted when engineers planning the site found traces of barium, chromium, lead and mercury in several soil samples while conducting an Environment Impact Study. The Department of Education said it would take steps to negate the impact of the contaminated soil by covering it with a barrier and layer of soil. The school was originally slated to be an intermediate high school serving 1,650 students. The Council ultimately approved an 1,100-seat high school for grades 9 to 12 at 74th Street and 57th Avenue.