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 were built or renovated before 1980 as the population for the program. Staff said they have worked through about 56% of the schools on that list. - DEC staff reported 46 schools with indoor-air results above the Department of Health's school action levels. Program action levels provided to the committee are 30 nanograms per cubic meter for pre-K, 60 ng/m3 for kindergarten through grade 6, and 100 ng/m3 for grade 7 through adults. Burlington High School's indoor-air concentration was reported as 6,300 ng/m3. - Program sampling to date includes more than 6,000 indoor-air samples with reported results ranging from about 1.4 ng/m3 to 3,200 ng/m3 across tested spaces (staff reported the Burlington High result separately). - Staff said they have completed cleanup work at multiple schools; the transcript includes both "seven schools" and later "six cleanups," a discrepancy the program did not resolve on the record. The committee heard that the most expensive cleanup to date was at North Country, with a reported total cost of $7.2 million (which staff said included associated assembly costs).

Capalino outlined the typical process: consultants inventory building materials across every space in a school, group similar rooms, then sample roughly 30% of rooms in each group to get representative data. If indoor-air results exceed the school action level, teams then investigate which materials are likely sources and consider mitigation or removal. "Removal is a better option," Capalino said, "but we try to encapsulate when we can to reduce exposures while keeping students and staff in school." She noted that removal of structural materials is often time-consuming and that mitigation measures such as encapsulation and ventilation are used when immediate removal is impractical.

Committee members and staff discussed reimbursement and project funding. Chapman said the Agency of Education is administering reimbursements and that Deputy Secretary Bridal Campbell and the Agency of Education business office were working to expedite payments; he encouraged schools having trouble obtaining reimbursements to contact the Agency of Education. The transcript shows the program has reimbursed schools for eligible costs where invoices were submitted, but staff acknowledged occasional delays between invoicing and payment.

On federal interaction and regulatory flexibility, Chapman credited EPA Region 1 with working closely with the state. He reported that EPA headquarters had recently authorized regions to exercise additional flexibility that could allow some PCB‑containing materials to remain in place provided that risks are appropriately managed; Chapman said the regional office would send written guidance. The program told the committee it expects that, when removal is infeasible, long-term capital planning and major renovations would be the appropriate time to remove and properly dispose of PCB‑containing materials.

Staff also described program limits and next steps: testing and cleanup timelines have shifted since the program began (initial statutory deadlines were extended to 2027), staff said they are finalizing cleanup plans for specific schools named in testimony (including North Country and others listed in the transcript), and they are pausing onboarding new schools for state‑led work until funding is resolved. Chapman said the agency will return to the committee to discuss program direction after the governor's budget is released.

Litigation and legal context were raised. Chapman said the state of Vermont and a number of school districts have active lawsuits against Monsanto related to PCBs; committee members asked whether ongoing litigation affects sampling and reporting. Chapman acknowledged the tension but did not indicate any change in testing practices based on litigation.

Where testimony left open questions: staff reported both six and seven completed cleanups in different remarks; the transcript did not reconcile that inconsistency. The program also cited an appropriation and funding amounts on the record: staff reported $13,500,000 provided statewide to address assessment and cleanup and a separate $16,000,000 provided to Burlington High School, identified in the transcript as associated with an act cited as "Act 7178." The committee was told Act 74 (2021) directed sampling of schools built or renovated before 1980 and set an initial deadline that was later extended.

The committee closed the session with staff saying they would provide additional documents and return after the governor's budget is finalized. Chapman told members he was "more than happy to be back" and that DEC and Agency of Education staff would share materials and next steps with committee staff.

Less critical details and follow-up: staff said some schools are conducting work independently and that the state has issued letters indicating those schools may be eligible for reimbursement if additional funding becomes available. The program continues periodic monitoring (annual or quarterly) at some schools while cleanup plans are finalized.