"I am the only school board member that has consistently called for comprehensive testing to ensure that our schools are safe from hazardous toxins. The school district is following the EPA's direction on this issue but the EPA does not provide clarity on the level of testing that should be conducted. On the other hand the federal government has stated that PCB's found above 50 ppm must be remediated. This is a major contradiction and I am supporting testing to know the truth and to keep our students and staff safe."
Oct. 1, 2014 Oscar de Ia Torre

"This is one of the reason's I am running for this office, and it will take more than 100-200 words to say why. Malibu needs to be paid attention too, the issues are more than just environmental, but with 4 teachers being down with thyroid cancer, 14 more teachers and staff ill since last Sept and 4 grads from the class of 2003 infected, something needs to be done. This issue is going to get a lot bigger. There is an issue with 'conflict of interest' with the legal counsel hired, and it is difficult to speak without the information before me, but I know there is a rat somewhere in this equation, and something is brutally wrong."
Oct. 1, 2014 Patty Finer

"Nothing could be clearer than the three steps that our community and our school district can and should be taking. First, there needs to be thorough testing of the environment at both schools. Second, the parents, teachers, staff, classified employees, experts, school district leadership, and students all need to discuss, explore, and understand the results of that thorough testing together. Finally, based on that understanding, those same people, our school community, must agree upon and see to completion appropriate remediation - however large or small. We can all agree that first and foremost comes the safety of the children and adults who frequent school premises. Let us all act in a manner such that this situation becomes an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and responsible stewardship to our children and to the larger community."
Oct. 1, 2014 Craig Foster

"The District is committed to ensuring that Malibu High School -- and all District schools -- are healthy and safe for all students and staff. Our approach has been to rely on environmental experts for guidance. Having been involved in this issue from the outset, I believe the District has been responsible and careful in addressing the environmental issues raised at Malibu High School.

When concerns were first raised about possible PCB exposure at Malibu High School, the District realized the technical scientific nature and complexity of the questions. We sought advice from the Department of Public Health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC). With input from the Malibu community, the District hired an environmental engineering firm to develop a testing and cleaning program in consultation with the expert agencies to ensure that our students are learning in safe instructional environments.

The EPA and other experts have repeatedly advised that the health concern is whether there is a route of exposure to PCBs through inhalation or ingestion, not the mere presence of PCBs in building materials. For that reason, the District has tested air and dust, relying on the EPA's highly protective health standards to determine whether classrooms and other rooms are safe."
Oct. 1, 2014 Laurie Lieberman

"The district has done the minimum amount in terms of testing for toxins--but that is not enough! When in doubt about a potentially very serious health matter, it is better to err on the side of safety whenever feasible. There are claims that recent non-district, non-EPA related testing has revealed PCB levels in caulking at Malibu High School that far exceed levels legally allowed by the Toxic Substances Control Act. Since PCBs are now considered to be carcinogenic and people are already often exposed to toxins in their food, water, and air, the district should take this matter very seriously. Activists in Malibu are making a reasonable request, which I support. They want testing of caulking in all pre-1980 buildings, removal of caulk that has PCBs higher than the legal limit, and the use of portables for teachers and pupils while the remediation is being done. Board members indicated (at the last board meeting) that the previously suggested 15 year waiting period before further action would be taken had been re-considered. This may be a good first step in verbally showing some good faith."
Oct. 1, 2014 Dhun May

"My goal is to develop a plan to remove all building materials containing PCBs throughout the district, regardless of the level of PCBs in them.

Per the recommendations of the EPA, the district has inspected and performed best management cleaning practices at Malibu High School and Juan Cabrillo Elementary to clean and take wipe and air test samples in classrooms to ascertain their acceptability to house students and teachers. The EPA has preliminarily approved the District’s work to have classrooms that are considered safe for occupancy. Caulking in areas that have tested over the TSCA threshold will be removed before the end of the current school year.

With approval of the Best Management Practices program work performed this summer, the District will monitor the classrooms to ensure continued safety and will develop a similar plan to inspect, clean and test in other buildings in the district built in the period when PCB's were used in building materials."
Oct. 1, 2014 Ralph Mechur