Environment

H.542 terminates ongoing indoor air quality testing for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Vermont public schools and approved independent schools built or renovated before 1980. The bill stops all new testing but requires the state to continue funding investigation, remediation, and removal of PCBs at schools that previously tested positive for PCB levels exceeding safety thresholds. It redirects unused funds from prior PCB testing appropriations toward remediation costs and mandates annual reports starting in 2027 on PCB testing status, remediation progress, and funding needs. The bill directly affects schools constructed before 1980, ensuring continued state support for PCB cleanup only where testing had already identified hazardous levels.

This bill requires Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources to create a new statewide system for tracking greenhouse gas emissions. It directly affects fuel suppliers (for transportation and heating) and businesses across all sectors, mandating them to report detailed data on fuel types and volumes sold, broken down by sector (transportation, residential, commercial, industrial) and county. The law establishes a formal reporting program to compile this data, aiming to streamline requirements and align with other state and federal programs. The agency must draft these rules by March 2027 and has $800,000 appropriated for development and staff time.

H.718 establishes a new residential building code (based on the International Residential Code) for Vermont, effective January 1, 2028, to be administered by the Division of Fire Safety. It requires contractors to disclose criminal records, creates a task force to improve the contractor registry and develop voluntary energy certifications, and grants municipalities authority to enforce both residential and commercial building energy standards. This bill directly affects homeowners (through updated construction standards), contractors (via registry changes and disclosure requirements), and local governments (with new enforcement powers). The key changes aim to improve consistency, compliance, and transparency in building energy efficiency standards across Vermont.