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Schools

More Malibu High School Cleanups Planned To Ease Health Concerns

Malibu High School and Middle School will be tested for cancer-causing chemicals and cleaned during the winter break.

Rooms at Malibu High School and Middle School will be tested, cleaned and tested again for traces of the carcinogen polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) before school resumes Jan. 6, said Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Sandra Lyon in a letter.  

Air and dust samples will be taken from rooms not previously tested. Though not required by the Environmental Protection Agency, the district has commissioned the cleanup to “further assure the community of the campus’ safety,” said Lyon.

Teachers' health concerns including three diagnosed with thyroid cancer possibly linked to PCB exposure resulted in an investigation by the EPA earlier this month. PCB was commonly used in building materials until a 1979 ban. Test results revealed some samples with high levels of the carcinogen, but not high enough to “raise red flags,” according to a Malibu Times article.  

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EPA representative Steve Armann stated in a letter to the district that these testings done over the winter break are “separate from cleanup necessary to address PCB-impacted caulk at Malibu H.S.”

The district still needs to submit plans for caulk remediation with EPA oversight as well as choosing companies to perform soil and more air testing.

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