EPA Announces Agreement with the City of New York on PCBs in School Caulk
Moldleg333
(New York, N.Y. – Jan. 19, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency today announced an agreement with the City of New York to
address the risks posed by PCBs in caulk found in some city schools.
The agreement is intended to result in a city-wide approach to
assessing and reducing potential exposures to PCBs in caulk in
schools.
“The work that the City of New York has agreed to do will go a long
way toward helping us better understand the potential risks posed by
PCBs in caulk, and our work to reduce the exposure of school children,
teachers and others who work in New York City public schools,” said
Judith Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “New York City’s 1,600 public
schools make it the largest school system in the nation, and we
believe that the program outlined in this agreement, along with
general EPA guidance on managing the issue, will serve as a model for
school systems across the country.”
The agreement announced today requires the city to conduct a study in
five schools to determine the most effective strategies for assessing
and reducing potential exposures to PCBs in caulk. The city will then
produce a proposed plan for any cleanups needed in the five schools
and use this information to develop a recommended city-wide approach.
EPA is also requiring the city to develop and submit for approval best
management practices for reducing exposure to PCBs in caulk in school
buildings. These may include cleaning the schools, improving
ventilation, and addressing deteriorating caulk.
Although Congress banned the manufacture and most uses of PCBs in 1976
and they were phased out in 1978, there is evidence that many
buildings across the country constructed or renovated from 1950 to
1978 may have PCBs at high levels in the caulk around windows and door
frames, between masonry columns and in other masonry building
materials. Exposure to these PCBs may occur as a result of their
release from the caulk into the air, dust, surrounding surfaces and
soil, and through direct contact. In September 2009, EPA provided new
guidance to communities and announced additional research to address
PCBs that may be found in the caulk in many older buildings, including
schools. Today’s agreement complements EPA’s national efforts by
helping building owners and managers facing serious PCB problems
develop practical approaches to reduce exposures and prioritize the
removal of PCB caulk.
The legally binding agreement announced today settles potential
violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act by the city for having
caulk that contains PCBs above allowable levels in some schools. As
part of the study of the five yet to be determined schools, the city
will sample extensively in them, and will ensure that any PCB waste is
properly removed. Once the study is concluded the city will work with
EPA to develop and implement a plan to identify, prioritize, and
address the presence of PCBs within the New York City school system.
In addition, the agreement calls for the development of a citizens’
participation plan to ensure that school administrators, parents,
teachers, students, and members of the public are kept fully informed
throughout the process.
PCBs are man-made chemicals that persist in the environment and were
widely used in construction materials and electrical products prior to
1978. PCBs can affect the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine
systems and are potentially cancer-causing if they build up in the
body over long periods of time. The greatest risks from PCBs involve
sustained long-term exposure to high levels of PCBs.
EPA is currently conducting research to better understand the
relationship between PCBs in caulk and PCB concentrations in caulk,
air and dust. The Agency is doing research to determine the sources
and levels of PCBs in buildings in the U.S. and to evaluate different
strategies to reduce exposures.
The agreement and more information can be found at http://www.epa.gov/region2.
To learn more about PCBs in caulk go to http://www.epa.gov/pcbsincaulk.
Anyone seeking technical guidance should contact the EPA at:
1-888-835-5372.
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2
and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.