When the Vermont legislature voted to mandate PCB testing last year, there were some details that were left to be worked out during this year’s legislative session. The Senate Education Committee will be discussing this issue on Thursday and in the coming weeks.Of particular interest, is what will actually happen if PCBs are found in schools. This program is the first of its kind in the nation and will test more than 300 schools by July 2024.The law passed last year requires any school built or renovated before 1980 to test indoor air, but there is no one size fits all solution if PCBs are found. Back in 2020, Burlington High school was forced to relocate to the vacant Macy’s building downtown after it was discovered that some rooms had elevated PCB. Not all schools would have such an alternative.“So, in some instances, it could be you have up to a year to address the issues, it could be up to 6 weeks to reduce indoor air concentrations, and, in some instances, it could be the space shouldn’t be used,” said Patricia Coppolino, senior environmental program manager at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.Coppolino is leading the testing project.The toxic chemicals can be found in paint, glues, caulk, fluorescent lights, electrical equipment, insulation and more. The “screening level” for PCBs, according to the Vermont Department of Health, is 15 nanograms per cubic meter.Since PCBs are so ubiquitous, the department derived “school action levels” based on exposure time and age. In nanograms per cubic meter, those values are as follows: 30 for pre-K, 60 for K-6, and 100 for grade 7 and above.These values are well below the federal guidelines determined by the Environmental Protection Agency.”When we look at how to remedy contaminants sometimes we have to add in some risk management because of the ability to detect and clean up to such a low standard,” said Coppolino.Last year’s budget bill set aside $4.5 million to fund testing but did not allocate separate funding for mitigation and relocation, if necessary. The cost of that will vary.“The volume of contamination that’s there, where it’s located, is it easy to remove, is it not easy to remove, what mechanism do you want to utilize to address the issues?” Coppolino said.Any additional funding for these measures would be determined by the legislature.The program is a partnership between the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health. Environmental consultants will go into each school to install pumps, and after 24 hours, the filter will be analyzed in a lab. Results could take two to three weeks to come back.The Department of Environmental Conservation is also looking to hire a PCB coordinator to make the program go smoothly.

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. —

When the Vermont legislature voted to mandate PCB testing last year, there were some details that were left to be worked out during this year’s legislative session. The Senate Education Committee will be discussing this issue on Thursday and in the coming weeks.

Of particular interest, is what will actually happen if PCBs are found in schools. This program is the first of its kind in the nation and will test more than 300 schools by July 2024.

The law passed last year requires any school built or renovated before 1980 to test indoor air, but there is no one size fits all solution if PCBs are found. Back in 2020, Burlington High school was forced to relocate to the vacant Macy’s building downtown after it was discovered that some rooms had elevated PCB. Not all schools would have such an alternative.

“So, in some instances, it could be you have up to a year to address the issues, it could be up to 6 weeks to reduce indoor air concentrations, and, in some instances, it could be the space shouldn’t be used,” said Patricia Coppolino, senior environmental program manager at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.

Coppolino is leading the testing project.

The toxic chemicals can be found in paint, glues, caulk, fluorescent lights, electrical equipment, insulation and more. The “screening level” for PCBs, according to the Vermont Department of Health, is 15 nanograms per cubic meter.

Since PCBs are so ubiquitous, the department derived “school action levels” based on exposure time and age. In nanograms per cubic meter, those values are as follows: 30 for pre-K, 60 for K-6, and 100 for grade 7 and above.

These values are well below the federal guidelines determined by the Environmental Protection Agency.

“When we look at how to remedy contaminants sometimes we have to add in some risk management because of the ability to detect and clean up to such a low standard,” said Coppolino.

Last year’s budget bill set aside $4.5 million to fund testing but did not allocate separate funding for mitigation and relocation, if necessary. The cost of that will vary.

“The volume of contamination that’s there, where it’s located, is it easy to remove, is it not easy to remove, what mechanism do you want to utilize to address the issues?” Coppolino said.

Any additional funding for these measures would be determined by the legislature.

The program is a partnership between the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health. Environmental consultants will go into each school to install pumps, and after 24 hours, the filter will be analyzed in a lab. Results could take two to three weeks to come back.

The Department of Environmental Conservation is also looking to hire a PCB coordinator to make the program go smoothly.

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