KAPLOWITZ’ 2-YEAR PCB INVESTIGATION
REACHES FEDERAL LEVEL
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer joins Kaplowitz in calling on EPA for guidelines on removal of PCB-laden Caulk
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2007
Contact: Michael B. Kaplowitz; (914) 995-2848 or (914) 924-3404 cell
Back in August of 2005, Westchester County Legislator Michael B. Kaplowitz (D-I-WF, Somers), chairman of the County Board’s Budget & Appropriations Committee, headed up the
County Board’s investigation into potential harmful effects of PCBs in caulking & other materials.
According to Kaplowitz, the immediate past chair of the Legislature’s Committee on the Environment, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) have been demonstrated to cause a variety of adverse health effects. “They were used in the manufacturing of electrical transformers, hydraulic equipment, caulk and other industrial sealants due to their non-flammability, chemical stability, high boiling point and electrical insulating properties, until 1976 when Congress enacted the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that prohibited the manufacturing, processing, and distribution in commerce of PCBs,” he said.
Kaplowitz noted that the creation of his “PCB Task Force” two years ago, came on the heels of the discovery of PCBs in window caulking at the French Hill Elementary School in Yorktown. Dr. Daniel Lefkowitz, whose son attends the school, made the initial discovery.
Since that time, Kaplowitz has held numerous meetings on the topic with several relative agencies and officials, such as Dr. Daniel Katz and Berry Schorr of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Robert Herrick of Harvard University, and Dr. Joshua Lipsman, the County’s Health Commissioner, as well as various Yorktown School District and French Hill School representatives.
“We’ve worked long and hard to find solutions and the bottom line is that the U.S. EPA
needs to step up to the plate and promulgate fair and responsible guidelines regarding the testing, remediation and proper disposal of caulk and other related items containing PCBs,” stated Kaplowitz. “The Federal government needs to provide not only the guidance, but also the resources, particularly financial, to assist these school districts in their efforts. They should be partnering with them, not policing them. The goal is to remediate any potential negative health effects from PCBs in our schools and/or other buildings.”
These sentiments were recently echoed by New York’s senior U.S. Senator, Charles E. Schumer, who earlier this week called on the EPA to set clear national guidelines on removing PCB-laden caulk. In his release, Senator Schumer credits Kaplowitz and says that it was only after Kaplowitz wrote to him on this issue this past May, did he launch his own inquiry with the EPA.
Kaplowitz stated that he was “very grateful for the Senator’s efforts” and looks forward to working with him toward a final resolution.
