Public consultation on proposed amendments to the Chlorobiphenyls Regulations and to the Storage of PCB Material Regulations
Environment Canada is initiating a second public consultation on proposed amendments to the Chlorobiphenyls Regulations and to the Storage of PCB Material Regulations. The purpose of this consultation is to provide an opportunity for the owners of equipment containing PCBs, the manufacturers/importers of equipment and consumer products and the owners of PCB wastes to ask questions and comment on the proposed modifications to these Regulations.
The proposed PCB 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 500 ppm 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
A consultation meeting on the proposed amendments is scheduled for January 28, 2003 from 1:00 to 4:30 at the Ottawa Congress Centre, room Capital Hall 1B. Please find attached the proposed amendments for your review and comments.
If you would like to participate in the meeting, please fill in the attached registration form and return it to Environment Canada as indicated on the form.
If you cannot attend the consultation meeting and would like to submit your comments in writing, please send them to Francine Laperrière by fax at 819-997-3068 or by mail at the following address: Environment Canada, Transboundary Movement Branch, Toxics Pollution Prevention Directorate, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3. All comments must be received February 7, 2003.
Comments received as part of this consultation will be considered in finalizing the regulatory proposals. The draft Regulations should be proposed in the Canada Gazette, Part l, in the spring 2003. This will be followed by a sixty-day comment period. Our objective is to publish the final regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part ll, in the fall 2003.
If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us at 819-994-5787 or at AdminPCB@ec.gc.ca.
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