State officials report dozens of Vermont schools with elevated PCBs; funding and timelines remain unsettled

State officials updated the Vermont House Education Committee on Jan. 23, 2025, about the status of the statewide polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) testing and cleanup program for schools built or renovated before 1980, saying testing has identified elevated indoor-air PCB concentrations in dozens of schools and that progress on cleanup and reimbursements is ongoing, but that future work and funding will be guided by the governor's upcoming budget and federal guidance.

The update matters because PCBs are a long‑lasting, toxic chemical associated with cancer and other health effects, and indoor air has been identified in state testimony as a primary exposure pathway for students and staff in affected buildings. The program was created after very high PCB concentrations were found at Burlington High School; state staff told the committee that the Burlington concentration measured 6,300 nanograms per cubic meter, far above the school action levels derived by the Department of Health.

Matt Chapman, director of the Waste Management & Prevention Division, told the committee that "PCBs are a known carcinogen," and said the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and its consultants have found indoor-air concentrations in some Vermont schools that are comparable to exposures at industrial superfund sites elsewhere in the U.S. Trish Capalino, program manager for the waste management section, described how the state's contractors inspect building materials and sample groups of rooms to find likely PCB sources such as caulking, window materials, mastics, paints and some spray-applied fireproofing.

Key facts reported to the committee: - The state identified 324 schools that…