Vermont will test hundreds of schools across the state for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxic chemicals used in building materials, state officials announced Wednesday.
The program, which is mandated by state law, sets the stage for a massive testing operation in Vermont schools, one that officials touted as the first in the country.
“This program will help us deliver valuable public health information to school administrators and support them in making decisions going forward that will protect students, teachers and school staff,” Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Peter Walke said in a Wednesday press release.
But the initiative also has caused concern among some school officials, who are worried about the potential costs of mitigating the chemicals — and, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, are already grappling with another airborne threat in school buildings.
“In my opinion, this is an example of a program — a useful program — that’s being initiated before the details are taken care of,” Jeff Francis, the executive director of the Vermont Superintendents Association, said in an interview.
PCBs are classified as “probable human carcinogens” and are known to cause cancer and other health effects in animals. The Environmental Protection Agency banned their production in 1979.
But because they were so widely used in construction materials — electrical equipment, paint, insulation, caulk and more — they remain common in older buildings, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Last year, Vermont’s annual budget bill included language mandating PCB testing in all schools, including independent schools, that were built or renovated before 1980.
Officials estimate that list includes at least 300 schools across the state.
This spring, consultants contracted by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation will begin the process of testing schools’ air. It’s not clear when exactly schools can expect testing to begin, but under the requirements of the law, officials must complete their work by 2024.
Results will be posted online when they are available, state officials said.
Department officials outlined several temporary scenarios that schools can follow if they locate PCBs in the building. Those options involve shifting students from locations with high PCB concentrations to low concentrations or reducing the time spent in more concentrated areas.
If PCBs are found, schools could take a number of actions to make the building safe, including removing the chemicals, covering them up and/or improving airflow, Patricia Coppolino, a senior environmental program manager at the Department of Environmental Conservation, said in an interview.
“It’s hard to describe exactly what would happen without having a school or building in front of you to understand what options existed,” Coppolino said.
But some local school officials are worried that high PCB levels would require more drastic action.
The PCB testing mandate was added to the budget bill just months after Burlington High School administrators decided to construct a new high school, when elevated PCB levels drove students from their old building.
Students there currently attend classes in a defunct department store, a windowless building complete with escalators, dressing rooms and a Michael Kors-turned-cafeteria.
Many schools in Vermont, however, may not have such a convenient backup plan.
“We were lucky that Burlington was able to pivot into the (mall),” Jay Nichols, the executive director of the Vermont Principals’ Association, said in an interview. “But that’s a very unique situation. And it’s unlikely that that could be replicated in other places in the state of Vermont.”
Coppolino said another evacuation “would be a worst-case scenario.”
But even if schools have to undertake more minor remediation, there are still questions about who would foot the bill.
Last year’s budget law set aside $4.5 million for air sampling for PCBs, but did not dedicate any funding to mitigation or relocation.
“It is the intent of the General Assembly to develop additional guidance during the 2022 legislative session,” the law reads.
It’s unclear whether there is other funding available for such projects. But Francis, of the Vermont Superintendents Association, called on lawmakers to make money available to schools.
“If Vermont’s going to be first in the nation in terms of testing, we should also be first in the nation in terms of supporting the schools where PCBs are identified,” Francis said.
Sen. Brian Campion, D-Bennington, the chair of the Senate Education Committee, said he has asked state officials involved with the program to testify before the committee next week.
That hearing, he said, is intended to “help us to just understand where things are at, what other resources might be needed, what they’re finding up to this point.”
