Bill Text (PDF) | One-Pager (PDF)

Washington (November 20, 2024) – Today on World Children’s Day, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety, and Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), reintroduced the Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2024 to remove toxic substances from school buildings across the country. Toxic substances including lead, asbestos, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are particularly prevalent in high-poverty schools.

The Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2024 would help schools remove toxic hazards threatening students and educators by authorizing grants under Section 28 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for monitoring and remediation of hazardous substances, as well as re-authorizing and expanding Title V of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to provide technical assistance to schools. The legislation would authorize $52 billion dollars over ten years, a groundbreaking investment to ensure that all students have safe and healthy learning environments. Importantly, this bill includes strong labor standards for projects funded by the grant program to protect and create good-paying union jobs. This bill would also authorize $1 billion over ten years to improve indoor air quality at schools and cut exposure to airborne hazards, such as radon, PCBs, smoke, asbestos, or mold.

“When students spend hours every day among schoolhouse walls, they deserve clean, safe, and healthy environments in which to learn. We cannot continue to allow our educators and students—of all ages, but especially children who are more sensitive—to be subject to buildings filled with environmental hazards and toxic substances that can, and should, be removed,” said Senator Markey. “The Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act will ensure that we invest in clean schools and build healthier communities.”

“Every child deserves to get a high-quality education in a safe and healthy environment,” said Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan. “For too long, America’s kids have been exposed to hazardous substances that threaten their health, well-being, and academic success. As a mother to two children in public schools, I'm committed to addressing these long-standing issues. The Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act will help remediate these harmful substances, improve school facilities, and protect our children and future generations.”

This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

A copy of the bill text can be found HERE.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Environmental Working Group, the National Education Association, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Healthy Schools Network, and the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools.

“Every childcare center and public school building in America should have the basic infrastructure to keep students and educators safe. But far too many school buildings have poor ventilation, mold and contaminants like lead and asbestos. Kids can’t learn in that environment, and teachers can’t teach,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. “Senator Markey’s Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act would dedicate federal resources to help make every public school and childcare center a place where parents and families feel confident in their children’s well-being, educators and support staff feel safe doing their jobs, and students can focus on learning.”

“We support the Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2024 sponsored by US Senator Edward Markey (D-MA). Legacy toxics in schools have been ignored far too long: asbestos, PCBs, mercury, lead, and importantly, the old stores of outdated and often mismanaged laboratory and art room chemicals. These hazards impact the long-term health and well-being of all school occupants -- 95 % of whom are women and children. Moreover, when schools are damaged by extreme weather events, old and new toxics can be released, making clean up and rebuilding more expensive and more difficult,” said Claire L. Barnett, MBA, Executive Director at Healthy Schools Network.

“Schools should be safe learning and working environments free of toxic chemicals,” said John Reeder, Environmental Working Group Vice President of Federal Affairs. “Toxic forever chemicals known as PFAS have no place in schools. We must protect the health of all school children, teachers and school employees from unnecessary exposures to harmful chemicals. EWG applauds Senator Markey for introducing this bill that will protect public health.”

In September 2023, Senator Markey and Representative Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) introduced the Green New Deal for Public Schools Act, which would upgrade every public school building in the country and reduce hazardous pollution. Specifically, the bill would invest $486 billion and start with the highest-need districts – to create safe, healthy, zero-carbon, and accessible learning environments for students and staff.

In August 2021, Senator Markey and Representatives Andy Levin and Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) introduced the Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act, which would remove toxic substances from school buildings across the country. Schools with large concentrations of Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and AAPI students, as well as those in high poverty areas, are contaminated with dangerous amounts of lead, asbestos, PCBs, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), among other harmful chemicals. The remediation of these toxics is an issue of environmental justice. A 2016 report from Senator Markey’s office showed that even though PCBs have been banned in the United States since 1979, up to 26,000 schools around the country contain these chemicals in light ballasts, caulk, and paint.

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