Disposal and Storage of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Waste
Many PCB decontamination processes do not require approval from the EPA; however, some processes do require approval.
See Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 761, subpart D to determine whether a disposal activity requires approval, and contact a local EPA Regional PCB Coordinator with any questions. Facilities that commercially store PCBs are approved under 40 CFR section 761.65(d) by the EPA.
On this page:
- PCB Disposal Facilities
- PCB Commercial Storage Facilities
- Facilities that have Obtained Approval for Specific Decontamination Processes
- PCB Transformer Registration
PCB Disposal Facilities
Disposal approvals are issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to accept and/or dispose of PCB waste. Facilities can be permitted by EPA to dispose of PCB waste or may handle or dispose of certain types of PCB waste outside of a permit. EPA maintains a searchable list of disposal facilities and approvals that can be sorted technology type and EPA Regional Office.
PCB Commercial Storage Facilities
Commercial storage facilities are permitted by EPA to store PCB waste according to the regulations outlined in 40 Code of Federal Regulations 761 until proper disposal occurs. EPA maintains a list of disposal facilities and approvals by EPA Regional Office.
Facilities that Have Obtained Approval for Specific Decontamination Processes
Many PCB decontamination processes do not require approval from the EPA (see 40 CFR section 761.79). However, some decontamination activities do require approval.
The following facilities have obtained approval for specific decontamination processes for particular types of media:
| Company | Address | Phone Number | EPA Region | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Veolia Technical Solutions LLC |
90 Pleasant Street, West Bridgewater, MA 02379 |
(781) 341-6080 |
1 |
Approval to use a surface sampling procedure (instead of the NACE Visual Standards required in §761.79(b)(3)) in the recycling of fluorescent light ballasts. |
|
Enviro Jet Technologies |
538 Edwards Avenue Calverton, NY 11933 |
(800) 394-8606 or |
2 |
Approval to use a 10% terpene hydrocarbon decontamination fluid (instead of 100%), as well as a soaking process of 2 hours (instead of 15 hours), to decontaminate natural gas pipeline contaminated with PCBs (see 761.79(c)(3)). Also, approval to use the sampling site location criteria as defined in the federal regulations under 40 CFR part 761 Subpart M (instead of Subpart P) for determining PCB surface concentrations in natural gas pipeline that has been decontaminated and is designated for unrestricted use (see 761.79(b)(3)). |
|
TCI of Alabama, LLC |
101 Parkway East |
(205) 338-9997 |
4 |
Approval for an alternative method for decontamination of PCB articles (primarily electrical equipment) by a washing/solvent distillation process. |
| National Grid | 175 East Old Country Road Hicksville, NY 11801 | (516) 545-2556 | 2 |
Approval to use a 10% terpene hydrocarbon decontamination fluid (instead of 100%), as well as a soaking process of 2 hours (instead of 15 hours), to decontaminate natural gas pipeline contaminated with PCBs (see 761.79(c)(3)). Also, approval to use the sampling site location criteria as defined in the federal regulations under 40 CFR part 761 Subpart M (instead of Subpart P) for determining PCB surface concentrations in natural gas pipeline that has been decontaminated and is designated for unrestricted use (see 761.79(b)(3)). |
PCB Transformer Registration
PCB transformer owners must register their transformers with EPA using form 7720-12. This form cannot be filled out or submitted online. Please print the form, fill it out completely and return it to EPA via:
National Program Chemicals Division
Fibers & Organics Branch (7404T)
Office of Pollution Prevention & Toxics
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20460-0001
Although not required, PCB transformer owners who have removed and properly disposed of a registered PCB transformer may notify EPA at the above address to have their PCB transformer de-registered.
PCB Transformer Registration Database (September 2019) – EPA provides the most updated transformer registration database showing most recent registrations. This database indicates the best known current status of registered PCB transformers.
The file is in a PDF format and should be viewable in most PDF applications, such as Adobe Reader or Acrobat. EPA also provides a file explaining what the database is designed to do.
To view PCB Transformer Registration information, click on the file, save it to a disk or hard drive, and open it using your spreadsheet software. The data entered in this database have been entered as received and have not undergone a quality assurance or quality control review.