EPA guidance recommends that schools take steps to reduce potential exposures to PCBs from older fluorescent lighting fixtures. Pre-1979 ballasts contain PCBs that can leak when the ballasts fail. Schools with older ballasts should examine them to see if they have failed or have PCB leaks. If a light ballast is leaking PCBs, federal law requires immediate removal and disposal of the ballast and disposal of any PCB-contaminated materials at an EPA-approved facility. To prevent exposure, school personnel should wear protective clothing, including chemically resistant gloves, boots, and disposable overalls while surveying the ballasts. Replacement should be performed in a well-ventilated area, or with supplemental ventilation or respiratory protection. EPA has also developed information on how to properly handle and dispose of PCB-containing fluorescent light ballasts and properly retrofit lighting fixtures to remove potential PCB hazards.
See the guidance document at
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/pubs/ballasts.htm.
Learn how to handle and dispose of PCB-containing ballasts at http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/pubs/waste.htm
More information on PCBs is at http://www.epa.gov/pcb.