New York City Council Committee on Health Hearing on Legionnaires' Disease Response and Prevention Bills - September 2, 2026
New York City Council Committee on Health Hearing on Legionnaires' Disease Response and Prevention Bills - September 2, 2026
On September 2, 2026, the New York City Council Committee on Health held an oversight hearing on the city's response to the 2026 Legionnaires' disease cluster on the Upper East Side, which sickened 94 people, hospitalized 79, and killed 11 New Yorkers. The committee also considered eight legislative proposals aimed at strengthening prevention, enforcement, and public outreach. Chair Lynn C. Schulman presided, joined by Speaker Adrienne Menin and other council members. The hearing included testimony from family members of victims, community advocates, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Alistair Martin and deputies, and public witnesses.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Family Members and Victims: Ida Goldstein testified about the death of her husband Robert, an Air Force veteran, after a 50-year marriage. Daniel Thomas spoke about the death of his father, Judge Charles Thomas, describing it as a "completely preventable random act of violence." Minister Sandria Coleman called Legionnaires' disease "100% preventable" and criticized the health department for inadequate preparation. Valerie Mason, Chair of Community Board 8, praised local elected officials for pushing the city to act more aggressively and noted the mayor had not visited the affected community. She recommended drones to identify unregistered cooling towers and mobile testing units.
- Harlem Legionnaires Task Force: Heaven Barhana from 3333 Broadway criticized DOHMH for sending untrained staff, lacking Spanish translators, and failing to provide resources. Kim Smith demanded greater accountability and enforcement, noting that only 56 water ecologists are insufficient for 5,000 cooling towers.
- Other Public Witnesses: Gwen Hanlin, whose husband Kevin died in 2017, urged comprehensive investigation of every case. Bob Bocock, a water treatment expert, called for a source-to-tap approach. Union representatives (Plumbing Foundation, MCA, Local 94) supported parts of the legislation but urged broader focus on potable water systems and better training.
Discussion Items
- Oversight of 2026 Outbreak: Council members questioned DOHMH Commissioner Martin and deputies about the delayed identification of the source, staffing shortfalls, and enforcement gaps. Speaker Menin highlighted that only 35 of 56 authorized water ecologist positions were staffed during the outbreak. Chair Schulman presented data showing a 50% decline in cooling tower inspections since 2017, with only 20 summonses issued in the affected zip codes before July, but 180 summonses in July after the outbreak was public. DOHMH acknowledged 50 of 56 positions are now filled but cited difficulties recruiting specialized staff. The commissioner defended the response, noting aggressive PCR-based remediation and public transparency, but admitted the source match is still pending via whole genome sequencing.
- Legislative Proposals: Eight bills were considered: Int. 0181 (shower hoses for tenants), Int. 0999 (temporary testing sites and digital map), Int. 1005 (education and outreach), Int. 1006 (cleaning cooling towers at least three times per year), Int. 1016 (Legionnaires' disease hotline), Int. 1017 (post-cluster analysis), and two pre-considered bills on interagency compliance review and public database. DOHMH expressed support for some but opposed Int. 0999 and Int. 1006, arguing pop-up testing is inappropriate and unnecessary cleaning can damage systems. Council members and public witnesses stressed the need for proactive enforcement, higher fines, and better communication.
Key Outcomes
- All eight introductions were heard and laid over by the committee (no votes taken). The oversight item was filed.
- DOHMH announced five new measures: cross-referencing DOB data to identify unregistered cooling towers, enhancing the address-based lookup map, exploring faster culture testing, accelerating OATH hearing dates for violations, and convening a scientific advisory panel on new technology.
- The committee noted discrepancies in staffing data and the timing of public communications. A follow-up request for detailed staffing numbers and comparison with other cities was made.
- Written testimony may be submitted within 72 hours.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning and welcome to today's New York City Council Hammer for the Committee on Health. At this time, ladies and gentlemen, we please ask that you silence all electronic devices. If you would like the fellow testimony slipped in, please see one of the sergeant at arms. Approaching the front dayers is strictly prohibited. Ladies and gentlemen, please do not approach the front day as chair. You may begin. Good morning. I am Councilmember Lynn Shulman, Chair of the New York City Council's Committee on Health. Thank you all for joining us at today's hearing on New York City's response to the 2026 Legionnaires Disease Cluster. At this hearing, we will examine the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's response to this year's cluster in the upper east side of Manhattan, which sickened 94 people, of whom 79 were hospitalized. We lost 11 New Yorkers to this year's outbreak, making this the deadliest Legionnaires outbreak in our city since 2015. We grieve for the lives lost and we send strength to their families and loved ones. I want to thank Speaker Julie Menon for being here today and for her steadfast leadership on this issue as she advocated for her district and for all New Yorkers, demanding action and accountability. I will now turn it over to the speaker for her remarks. So this summer, as we all know, Legionnaires disease outbreak has hit incredibly close to home for many of us. It occurred in the district that I represent and took the lives of 11 New Yorkers. Our hearts break for their family members, and we send them our deepest, deepest condolences. These are our neighbors, they are our friends and our loved ones. I have certainly experienced this public health crisis not only as an elected official but as a New Yorker representing constituents directly affected by the city's response. I want to be very clear from the outset. We first of all want to commend the health department staff who work tirelessly to investigate this outbreak, inspect and test cooling towers, conduct outreach, and protect New Yorkers. These hardworking public servants deserve our respect. But today's hearing must also ask a fundamental question. Was New York City adequately prepared before this outbreak occurred? Legionnaires disease is not a new threat. We know it occurs in New York City every year. We know cooling towers require rigorous inspection and oversight. And we knew before this outbreak that the health department needed additional staff to do this work. Yet during the outbreak, only 35 of 56 authorized water ecologist positions were staffed. That means 21 authorized positions were not yet staffed with active inspectors when the city needed this specialized workforce the most. Water ecologists perform critical work inspecting cooling towers and other water systems, identifying potential hazards, enforcing regulations, and helping prevent outbreaks. There are also serious questions about vacancies within the health department's broader inspection workforce, and that is one of the many series of questions that we will get to today. Today we need a clear accounting of how many water ecologists and public health inspector positions were budgeted, filled, vacant, and occupied by employees who were still onboarding or training when this outbreak occurred. If Legionnaires disease is a recurring public health threat, which we know it is, we should not be scrambling to build the workforce needed to address it after an outbreak has already started. We should have been prepared. Preparedness also means ensuring that our cooling tower laws are actually being enforced. This past May, New York City experienced temperatures approaching 100 degrees, unusually early in the season. New cooling tower testing requirements had also just taken effect. But communication is only successful if people understand the risk and know what actions they need to take. Throughout this outbreak, I heard repeatedly from constituents who did not know the symptoms of Legionnaires' disease, who was most vulnerable, when they should seek medical attention, or what they could do to proactively protect themselves. Residents also had basic questions about whether it was safe to shower, drink tap water, or use their air conditioners. We saw just how confusing public guidance can become at Haven Plaza in a separate Legionnella situation involving a building water system. Video and reports from that situation showed residents receiving differing messages about whether they could even shower. When we're dealing with a potentially deadly disease, residents should not be left trying to reconcile conflicting information themselves. The city must provide clear, consistent, and repeated guidance. New Yorkers should know the system of le symptoms, excuse me, of Legionnaires disease before the next outbreak. They should know who is at greater risk. They should know when to contact a doctor. And when an outbreak occurs, they should quickly receive clear information about what precautions they should take. Ultimately, I want to ensure that we keep our focus today on the people who really matter, the New Yorkers who became ill and the New Yorkers whose lives were tragically cut short.
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