Gov. Kathy Hochul signs legislation strengthening NYC cooling tower inspections in wake of deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed new legislation Wednesday to strengthen inspections on cooling towers in New York City.

The law requires twice yearly certifications, faster remediation and stiffer penalties for violations. Building owners could face fines of more than $12,000 for a violation that results in a death or serious injury.

This comes after seven deaths were reported in connection to a Legionnaires' disease cluster on the Upper East Side. A total of 92 people tested positive for the disease, and dozens were hospitalized.

Health officials believe the disease was spread through water vapor containing live Legionella bacteria from a cooling tower in the impacted area. The city health department says they are confident the source of the bacteria has been eliminated, and people in the area are no longer at risk of exposure.

"Protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers is my highest priority," Hochul said in a statement. "Recent outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease underscore the urgency of certification requirements, and we look forward to working with the City to ensure New Yorkers are protected against these public health threats."

"Keeping New Yorkers safe means preventing outbreaks before they happen by holding building owners accountable for maintaining their cooling towers. New York City has the strongest cooling tower regulations in the country, requiring regular inspections, maintenance and testing to stop Legionella bacteria from spreading," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement. "Every year, we hold owners accountable with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, and we welcome any opportunity to strengthen these protections even further. Every New Yorker deserves to know that their city is doing everything possible to protect their health."

Last year, a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Harlem also claimed the lives of seven people and sickened more than 100.

Wednesday, attorney Ben Crump and others said they planned to file lawsuits against New York City, NYC Health + Hospitals and contractors in connection to that deadly outbreak. The lawsuits will allege defendants failed to properly test and maintain cooling towers, including at Harlem Hospital.

The city has not yet responded.