Environmental testing at John F. Kennedy and Joseph A. DePaolo Middle Schools in Southington has indicated the presence of PCBs in building materials, but not in air samples, according to the superintendent.
HYGENIX, Inc. did the testing in preparation for a renovation project to identify potential environmental hazards so there was no accidental disturbance, Supt. Joseph Erandi Jr. said in a letter to parents, student and staff.
Erandi said polychlorinated biphenyls were found in many building materials throughout the school, including caulking around windows, doors, expansion joints and other locations.
The materials are intact, the superintendent said. Immediately after the PCBs were discovered, air samplings were taken and no PCBs were found in the air, according to Erandi.
HYGENIX , the consultant the schools are using, will take more samples and all accessible PCB containing materials are scheduled to be removed with the upcoming renovations.
They will be removed during the summer of 2013, when students and staff are on vacation.
Erandi will be hosting an open hour in the auditorium of the DePaolo Middle School at 7 p.m. on Wednesday for any interested student, parent, or community member to obtain a more detailed explanation on the issue.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has posted a fact sheet about PCB-contaminated caulk for schools and teachers. http://www.epa.gov/pcbsincaulk/caulkschoolkit.htm
