Vermont proposes $9.5 million to mitigate PCBs at already‑tested schools

On Feb. 5, the Vermont House Education Committee heard from the Department of Environmental Conservation that the state budget includes a one‑time $9,500,000 general fund appropriation to mitigate and remediate polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in schools that have already been tested.

Committee members were told the appropriation is not intended to fund testing of additional schools but to focus on corrective action and cleanup work at already‑identified sites. Matt Chapman, a DEC representative, described the money as “a meaningful amount of money to get going on mitigating and addressing some of these concerns,” but said it may not cover all costs at every affected school.

Trish Capilino, who identified herself as part of the Vermont DEC Contaminated Sites Program, said the agency is actively developing environmental corrective action alternative (EECA) documents and corrective action plans for the schools. “We are working on 6 schools right now,” Capilino said, and described the EECA and corrective action planning process the DEC uses to evaluate options ranging from encapsulation to removal to demolition. The consultant‑produced EECA will include cost estimates, likely…