PCB Free

This blog is about Polychlorinated Biphenyls, a toxic compound that the US banned in the 1970s, and their societal impact especially related to schools in New York city. In the 1960s and 70s PCBs were widely used in building materials such as caulk which is still in place in many older buildings including many New York city schools. What does this mean for kids and teachers who spend the majority of their days in these buildings and what is being done to address this issue?

Thursday, April 17, 2008

TEST THE CAULK!!!!!

According to the NY State Education Department, "the U.S. EPA regulates the disposal of caulk, as well as soil and other materials contaminated with PCBs from caulk, if the concentration of PCBs exceeds 50 ppm." So basically if NY city officials test the caulk in city schools and find that the concentration of PCBs exceeds 50 ppm then by law the caulk must be removed and properly disposed of. Interesting to note that I have not seen any city agency (i.e. Departments of Education, Health, etc.) or officials from the Mayor's office call for testing of PCB levels in the caulk. Some other elected officials have called for this but the agencies charged with safeguarding the educational environment of our children have not. I guess 'sweeping' it under the rug is less costly than removing the source of the PCBs from our schools.

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Call for Schools to be PCB Free!

PCBs are a serious health issue that has come to light recently in New York City which has approximately 266 schools that were built in the 60s and 70s when PCBs were widely used in building materials such as caulking. However, PCBs in schools potentially effects children and teachers around the country and must be addressed at the national level. Join us in calling for PCB Free schools across the country. What do we want:

Testing of all suspect school buildings across the country that may contain significant levels of PCBs.
Safe removal of school building materials that have PCB levels above 50 ppm in accordance with federal regulations.
Develop and implement federally mandated cleaning guidelines across all suspect schools until PCB contaminated materials can be removed.