Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/477973
based on independent testing of samples taken from classrooms showing that PCBs are still at a higher level than considered safe. It has been a difficult issue to evaluate, says Sarah Braff, president of the Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association. "Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff throughout California. But members cannot be expected to evaluate scientific data, whether it is from public agencies or samples taken from other sources. We need state leadership to help us with the eval- uation of such reports." Braff recommends that all local associations check with their school dis- tricts to make sure they are taking the following actions regarding PCBs: • Review maintenance records to see if PCB-containing fluorescent light ballasts were replaced. • Find out when your school was built and if your district is aware of the problem. • Contact Steve Armann, PCB program coordinator for EPA Region 9 (armann.steve@epa.gov or 415-972-3352), if you suspect PCBs are present on your campus. • If you don't get a response from your state or district, keep calling until you do. Dinerstein believes that a lack of communication in the beginning stages of discovery may have contributed to anger in the Malibu community. "The district sent out a cheery note saying they were going to be doing soil remediation in preparation for a building renovation. Most thought the district was doing something to prepare for building. It turns out the district removed more than 1,000 tons of contaminated soil in 2009, which wasn't known until years later." Dinerstein says that there is no general law that requires a district to inform parents or teachers of environmental problems on campus, and would like to see standards put into place for notification procedures. "It's not only a problem in Malibu." says Braff. "There are environmental concerns about PCBs at all schools built between 1950 and 1980 across the country. We cannot fix the problem in high-profile schools without a plan for all affected schools regardless of their status or income. This is also an issue of equity." Who conducts an investigation? While there is a lack of guidelines in communicating con- cerns about toxics on school sites, there is also confusion sometimes about which agency does what. For new school sites or renovation, DTSC assists with a comprehensive "Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff," says Sarah Braff, pointing out toxic caulking in a classroom window. Feature