PCB Highlights
- EPA held an informal public hearing on the proposed rule granting Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C. an exemption to import PCBs for safe disposal. The Agency is currently accepting comments and questions regarding hearing presentations until July 18, 2008. Read more about the exemption.
- PCBs in Caulk. Some buildings have PCB-containing caulk. Read about how to minimize exposure to this material.
- Effective October 1, 2007, management of the TSCA PCB cleanup and disposal program shifted to EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER). Read more information about the transfer.
- EPA issued a final rule granting the Defense Logistics Agency’s petition to import PCBs and PCB items currently in temporary storage at U.S. military installations in Japan for disposal in the United States. The rule provides that no more than 1.3 million pounds of PCBs may be imported for disposal.
--------------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------
On this site you may:
- Learn about PCBs - Find information about the commercial use of PCBs, common PCB trade names (e.g., Aroclor), and PCB congeners. In addition, learn about the release and exposure, as well as the health effects of PCBs.
- Learn about the laws and regulations that
govern PCBs - PCBs are regulated under TSCA. TSCA bans the manufacture,
processing, use and distribution in commerce of PCBs. TSCA gives EPA the authority
to develop, implement and enforce regulations concerning the use, manufacture,
cleanup and disposal of PCBs.
- Obtain PCB guidance documents -
EPA has developed a number of guidance documents to assist the regulated community
with managing, cleaning up and disposing of PCB wastes and PCB-contaminated
materials.
- Locate companies that have received EPA approval to handle
PCB wastes:
- Storage and disposal companies that have received EPA approvals to store and dispose of PCB wastes;
- Companies that have received alternative decontamination approvals to decontaminate materials contaminated with PCBs; and
- Scrap metal recovery ovens operating
in compliance with 40 CFR 761.72(a).
- Access the Transformer Registration and PCB Activity
Databases - Companies or people who have PCB transformers must register
them with the EPA using form 7720-12 (PDF) (1 pg, 13K, About PDF) .
Any company or person conducting business involving the disposal of PCBs or conducting research and development involving PCBs must notify the EPA using form
7710-53 (PDF) (1 pg, 15K, About PDF) and receive an ID
number. EPA compiles this information into two databases and makes them available
to the public.
This site does not address the management of PCBs under other environmental statutes such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). In addition, this site does not address worker health and safety or work-place exposure which are regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) . This site provides links to other EPA and Federal Web pages containing information about PCBs and other waste programs.