Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy

Stakeholder Forum - 1998

IMPLEMENTING THE BINATIONAL TOXICS STRATEGY
Implementation

Stakeholders Minutes
March 23, 1998 - Chicago, Illinois

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) Meeting Minutes

Draft Paper on PCBs in the United States
March 10, 1998

The U.S. challenge for PCBs in the Binational Toxics Strategy is to seek a 90% reduction of "high level PCBs (>500 ppm) used in electrical equipment." The reductions are to be measured from the estimated pieces of electrical equipment containing high level PCBs in use in 1994. The specific electrical equipment this challenge targets are transformers and capacitors. The estimated number of transformers containing high level PCBs in use in 1994 is 200,000. This figure includes an estimate of the transformers containing intentionally manufactured PCBs, or askarel, and an estimate of the transformers containing mineral oil dielectric fluid contaminated to concentrations greater than 500 ppm. The estimated number of capacitors containing high level PCBs in use in 1994 is 1,473,000. This figure represents only capacitors containing intentionally manufactured PCBs, or askarel, since most of the capacitors manufactured prior to the ban of the manufacture of PCBs (1977) contained such material.

The estimated number of transformers and capacitors containing high level PCBs in use in 1994 was determined by subtracting the average number of PCB transformers and capacitors disposed of between 1988 and 1994 from the estimated number of PCB transformers and capacitors in use in 1988 . As part of the regulatory impact analysis for the PCB Notification and Manifesting rule of December 1989, it was estimated that 350,000 PCB transformers and 1,855,000 PCB capacitors were in use in 1988. Data included in annual reports submitted to U.S. EPA from PCB commercial disposers indicate that for the years 1990 through 1994, an average of 25,000 PCB transformers and 63,000 PCB capacitors were disposed of per year. Therefore, an estimated 150,000 PCB transformers (25,000 X 6 years) and 378,000 PCB capacitors (63,000 X 6 years) were disposed of from 1988 through 1994.

The level of 500 ppm was selected because it draws a line between those commercial products generally used as PCBs and other commercial products which may contain PCBs as a side effect of the manufacturing process. Liquids used in transformers or capacitors which were intended to contain PCBs usually contain 40% to 99% PCBs, well above 500 ppm (0.05%). The limit of 500 ppm is a practical cut-off because it includes virtually all capacitors manufactured prior to 1977, the year the manufacture of PCBs became prohibited in the United States, and virtually all transformers which were not intended to contain PCBs but which were substantially contaminated with PCBs. By focusing on equipment containing over 500 ppm PCBs, the vast majority of the remaining mass of PCBs will be removed as will the greater threat to the environment.

Although there are regulations controlling the use of electrical equipment in the U.S., spills of PCBs from electrical equipment continue to occur. Most of the equipment containing high level PCBs is almost 30 years old, at least, and the use of PCBs in that equipment is still allowed, indefinitely. As the equipment ages, it may experience a higher failure rate, and subsequently it poses a greater risk of releasing PCBs to the environment. The voluntary phase out of PCBs in electrical equipment is one way to remove this potential source of environmental contamination.