Residents of Washington Heights are calling for immediate action regarding a polluting boiler located at 618 West 169th Street, between Broadway and Fort Washington Avenue, serving a nurse dormitory affiliated with Columbia University School of Nursing.

This boiler was approved as a temporary installation, intended to remain in place for only three months. However, instead of being removed, its permit has been continuously renewed every three months for at least a decade, allowing the boiler to remain on the public street indefinitely.

As a result, residents have endured years of black soot, strong gas odors, and air pollution. Residents report black residue accumulating on windowsills and persistent smoke-like odors inside apartments, forcing many to keep windows closed to avoid soot entering their homes. The boiler appears poorly cleaned and inadequately maintained, and emissions are frequently strong enough that residents have feared an active fire. The building management of nearby 600 West 169th Street reported that on two occasions, residents contacted the Fire Department, believing there was a fire in the building—only to learn that the source was pollution from the boiler.

The area surrounding the boiler is also often unsanitary, with human waste present nearby, compounding health and safety concerns for residents in a high-density residential area.

Black soot and fine particulate matter are linked to asthma, respiratory illness, and cardiovascular disease, particularly affecting children, older adults, and individuals with pre-existing conditions. A boiler serving healthcare workers should not be a long-term source of pollution in a residential neighborhood.

A system that allows a “temporary” boiler permit to be renewed every three months for over ten years is not functioning as intended and demands immediate review.

We call for immediate action:

• End the cycle of three-month permit renewals for this boiler
• Remove the boiler from the public street
• Conduct independent air-quality and safety testing
• Release maintenance, inspection, and permit renewal records
• Install a permanent, non-polluting alternative
• Address sanitation and safety conditions around the boiler site 

Addressed to:

• NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
• NYC Department of Buildings (DOB)
• NYC City Council (Washington Heights District)
• Manhattan Borough President
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)

Washington Heights residents deserve clean air, safe streets, and regulatory accountability.