PCB light replacement in schools

Step 1: Fill out an application

The Fluorescent Light Ballast Replacement Application includes an overview of qualifications, terms and conditions, and other requirements.

• Assess your buildings to see if you have lighting that qualifies for the program.
  Use the Environmental Protection Agency's Guide to Identifying PCB-containing Lights.
• Develop a project plan.
• Develop a waste management plan.
  • Contact a qualified hazardous waste service provider before submitting your application.
  • Read our Disposal guide for PCB-containing lights for more information.

If you have questions or need help, please contact us.

Step 2: We will notify you if you qualify

We will review your application. If your school qualifies for the program, we will notify you.

DO NOT move ahead with any work until we notify you that you qualify.

DO NOT move ahead with this step unless we have notified you to do so.

Step 3: Perform the approved work

• Register in the Washington State Payee System.
• Keep careful records and invoices to document your costs. We will only cover costs associated with time and materials to remove, dispose of, and replace PCB-containing lighting.

Step 4: Submit your voucher

• Submit your voucher to us within 60 days of completing project work.
• Submit all documents and invoices as specified.
• We will review and process your reimbursement.

PCB-containing light ballasts still in use are long past their intended lifespan and can leak, smoke, or burn when the ballast fails. This causes a safety and exposure hazard for students and staff in schools. Proactive replacement of old PCB-containing lights helps schools avoid these hazards and costly cleanups.

Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are a group of human-made compounds found in air, water, land, and sediments. They are very persistent (lasting for decades in the environment) and bioaccumulate (building up in the food chain, in animals. and people).

PCBs have toxic effects in the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems in people and other organisms. PCBs also cause cancer in animals and are likely to cause cancer in people.

Take immediate action

If there are any signs of discolored or stained lights, leaking oil, leaking tar-like matter, soot, or smoke from fluorescent light fixtures:

1. Evacuate people from the room and prevent re-entry.
2. Increase ventilation by opening windows.
3. Do not handle leaking PCB-containing lights without proper training and personal protective equipment.​
4. Consult with the EPA Region 10 PCB coordinator (Michelle Mullin, mullin.michelle@epa.gov, 206-553-1616) to make sure all relevant cleanup procedures are followed.
5. Call the your regional Ecology office and speak with a dangerous waste compliance officer.

Was there a possible release of PCBs to air or water?

1. Notify your local clean air authority.
2. Notify your regional Ecology office for further instructions on containment.

Learn how to handle and dispose of PCB-containing lights.

We urge you to remove and replace any PCB-containing lights before they fail. While intact ballasts do not pose a risk of immediate harm, staff and students may be continuously exposed to very low levels of PCBs released into the air, where they can then settle on surfaces and accumulate in dust.

If your school is in the process of removing or replacing these lights, follow these best management practices to reduce exposure:

• Improve ventilation in rooms with PCB-containing lights.
• Keep surfaces clean to reduce dust that may contain PCBs.
• Use wet or damp cloths or mops to wipe surfaces.
• Do not sweep with dry brooms or use dry cloths for dusting.
• Encourage children and staff to wash their hands with soap and water, particularly before eating.
• Wash children’s toys.

Learn How children are exposed, health risks, and tips to reduce exposure.

Yes. Here are some suggested resources for schools in need of lighting upgrades that fall outside the scope of this program.

OSPI's Grants & Funding Resources
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is developing a grant program to address pre-1980 and T12 fluorescent ballasts in school districts. OSPI’s program will expand upon and complement our Product Replacement Program.

Energy Efficiency Grant Program
Washington's Department of Commerce offers grants to fund energy efficiency projects. Schools in small towns (populations under 5,000), in disadvantaged communities, and those with multi-building upgrade needs are encouraged to apply.

Utility rebate programs
Most Washington utilities offer rebate programs to encourage upgrades to more energy efficient lighting.