Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/477973
for an environmental assessment if a new school is going to be built or there's a major renovation planned. But you have a lot of old schools with all kinds of conditions, and you have no particular requirement to test them unless someone raises a problem." Dinerstein notes that federal law requires that schools test for asbestos (see story, page 13) but not for other pollutants, unless a district is build- ing a new school, constructing a new building or doing a major renovation. PCBs in Malibu Dinerstein advocated on behalf of some Malibu teachers and parents w h o e x p r e s s e d c o n c e r n s a b o u t schools with PCBs, a class of com- pounds used in construction until they were banned in the '70s after t h e y we re f o u n d t o c a u s e c a n c e r and damage immune and reproduc- tive systems. In 2013, three Malibu High School employees were diagnosed with thy- roid cancer, raising concern it could be related to the school environment. PCBs have been linked to various types of cancer, including thyroid cancer. The district made national headlines when supermodel Cindy Crawford pulled her two children out of Malibu schools. The district sought advice from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the EPA, and the state's Department of Toxic Sub- stances Control (DTSC). The district also hired the environmental firm Environ, which developed a testing and cleaning plan for soil, groundwa- ter and buildings at Malibu High and Juan Cabrillo Elementary School. Deep cleaning was done last sum- mer to limit exposure to dust until window caulking is removed, which is slated for June. Most of the ballasts have already been removed, with the remainder to be removed in summer. Despite assurances from the dis- trict and Environ that "buildings are safe for students and staff," PEER says that is not the case, She was one of three teachers who became ill and one of two who ended up in the hospital. Some students also became ill, and one ended up in the emergency room. Her fellow Redding Teachers Association members were very supportive, donating some of their sick days. Mold commonly grows in building materials, furnishings or rugs that are damp for more than 48 hours. You may suspect mold is present if you see visible growth or smell moldy odors. Exposure can affect the health of children and adults, and the severity of the reaction depends on the amount and type of mold, how close the person is to moldy areas, length of exposure, and a person's susceptibility. Toxic mold can cause problems that include headaches, asth- ma, skin problems, neurological conditions and autoimmune issues. It is so dangerous that in 2003, a mold-infested school in Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District was demolished. At present, there are no med- ical tests to determine whether someone has been exposed to a mold toxin or whether mold exposure has activated a mold allergy that may be present in an individual. If you suspect mold in your school, immediately contact your administration and your chapter president, ask for the problem to be investigated, and ask to be removed from the suspected mold area until testing or removal takes place. For more information, see: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: "Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings" www.epa.gov/iaq/molds U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: "Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools" www.epa.gov/iaq/schools New York City Department of Health: "Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments" www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/ environmental/moldrpt1.shtml Go Online @ 11 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 7