Hazardous Materials Found in Brooklawn Middle School Classroom

Parsippany-Troy Hills School officials have decided to close a Brooklawn Middle School classroom for the duration of the year after hazardous materials were found in a light fixture.

“We discovered residue on a ceiling mounted light fixture in one classroom at the close of school last Friday,” Parsippany-Troy Hills Interim Superintendent Dr. John Fitzsimons said in a letter to parents.

“The residue was from old lighting ballasts replaced many years ago in all of our schools,” he said. “The older ballasts contained PCBs, a man-made chemical that persist in the environment and were widely used in construction materials and electrical products prior to 1978. Direct contact over a long period of time with PCBs can be harmful to your health. Thus Congress banned their use.”

Some residue remained from the ballasts, which were changed about eight or nine years ago. A tar-like substance got on the frame of the light fixture and the heat caused it to drip onto a classroom desk, said Fitzsimons.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyl, “have been demonstrated to cause cancer, as well as a variety of other adverse health effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system.”

However, PCBs only cause adverse health effects when someone has direct contact with them over a long period of time, said Fitzsimons.

“There is no evidence that these are raining down on us,” he said. “The ballasts that are in there do not contain PCB's.”

The classroom was immediately closed and local health department officials, as well as the NJ Department of Health were notified, the letter states.

“The state and local health departments conducted an onsite inspection of the school and concluded the school can continue to be occupied,” said Fitzsimons. “In compliance with the recommendations from the NJDOH, corrective actions to address this problem will take place over the summer months.”

Additional testing will be conducted as per the recommendation from the NJDOH.

“We take seriously any intrusion to the health and safety of our students and staff,” said Fitzsimons.