FEDERAL PCB REGULATIONS

Environment Canada's proposed amendments to the Chlorobiphenyls Regulations and to the Storage of PCB Material Regulations will replace the Chlorobiphenyls Regulations and, while incorporating most of the older requirements, will add new provisions for the tracking and disposal of PCB Contaminated equipment currently in service, and additional restrictions on the uses, namely:

• accelerate the phase out of PCB equipment in sensitive locations to three years after the coming into force of the regulations (schools, hospitals, drinking water treatment plants, food and feed processing sites)

• phase out all equipment with 300ppm PCBs or more by December 31, 2007

• phase out all equipment with 50 ppm PCBs or more by December 31, 2014

• set a maximum content of 2 ppm of PCBs in manufactured and imported products

• prohibit the release of PCB material (50 ppm or more) into the environment

• labeling and reporting of PCB equipment

The proposed PCB Regulations will implement the goals of the NAFTA North American Regional Action Plan (NARAP) for PCBs, including the elimination of non-dispersive uses of PCBs, e.g. transformers, capacitors.

The Storage of PCB Material Regulations will also be amended at the same time to implement another goal of the NARAP: the setting of a time limit on storage before destruction. Proposed amendments will:

• prohibit the storage of PCB material already in storage after December 31, 2009

• prohibit the storage of PCB material for more than a year after its decommissioning

• prohibit the storage of PCB material in sensitive locations to one year after the coming into force of the regulations

Final Regulation will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, in the fall of 2003.

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