California School District Given More Time to Deal with PCBs in Two Malibu Schools

Recently, The Malibu Times published an article with updates about the ongoing issue of remediating (Polychlorinated Biphenyl) PCB-containing caulks surrounding some windows and doors in several schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. The situation had previously made national headlines as far back as 2013 when the presence of PCBs were first made public.

In 2016, The New York Times even published a report about ongoing parental concerns of children being pulled from the schools by their parents. At the time, the school district and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that the classrooms were safe, but that did little to settle the minds of some parents.

A lawsuit was filed against the school district and in September of 2016, a decision was handed down by a U.S. District Court Judge. The ruling prevented the school district from using rooms in the buildings in question after the last day of 2019, unless the surrounding caulk is replaced from all window and door systems. This past December, The Malibu Times reported the school district was granted a motion it had filed to extend that deadline by 5 years.

“The production of PCBs in the United States was halted in 1979, but prior to then it was used in some building materials, including some types of caulk found in schools and other buildings,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “PCBs were also used in other materials, such as some paints, mastics, sealants, adhesives, specialty coatings and fluorescent light ballasts. These PCBs can persist in these old materials, contaminating surfaces, dust, soil and even the indoor air quality (IAQ) as they degrade. PCBs may also become airborne or settle on surfaces during renovation, remodeling and demolition activities that disturb materials containing them.”

The laboratory specialists at LA Testing identify PCBs from building materials, dust, soil and air samples in California. They have multiple testing facilities throughout the state and offer all of the sampling supplies and analytical services needed to identify PCBs and other hazardous substances.

To learn more about PCB testing in caulk, air, dust, soil or other materials, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794.


About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.

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