Publications

Polychlorinated biphenyls management plan

Environment Protection and Heritage Council
April 2003 edition

Footnotes

1. These and other scheduled wastes documents may be obtained from the Waste Management Secretariat, Environment Australia, GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601 Telephone: FREECALL 1800 657 945, or email ocp@ea.gov.au
2. 'Aquatic spawning area' means an area of the environment which fish and other aquatic vertebrate species use for spawning purposes. 'Endangered species habitat' means an area of the environment which provides a habitat for a species that is likely to become extinct unless action is taken to remove the factors which threaten its survival.
3. The risk-based strategy is applicable to a range of items used in the electricity supply industry and industry in general. A statistical procedure has been developed and is available from the agency which, when applied to the required number of items, will provide a high level of confidence that more than 1% of items are, or are not, scheduled PCB material. Where this statistical approach is inappropriate due to sample size, all equipment can either be tested or removed without testing.
4. The National Advisory Body will seek to work with the Joint ANZECC/NHMRC Contaminated Sites Technical Review Committee in relation to guidelines for PCBs.
5. Some jurisdictions have specific legislative requirements relating to contaminated sites.
6. US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for sites contaminated by PCBs: Industrial 25 mg/kg
   Electrical switch yards 25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg (with placarding at site entrance.)
   and ANZECC/NHMRC guidelines for sites contaminated by PCBs:
   Residential/public open space PCB investigation level as set by ANZECC and NHMRC
7. A publication of the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) Worksafe Australia: Control of Workplace Hazardous Substances - National Model Regulations [NOHSC:1005(1994)] and National Code of Practice [NOHSC:2007(1994)] - available from Commonwealth Government Bookshops.
8. US EPA 40 CFR Part 761: Polychlorinated biphenyls: notification and manifesting for PCB waste activities: clause number 761.125.
9. The level specified in the draft ANZECC/ARMCANZ Guidelines is 2 micrograms per litre.
10. "Wetland" means a low-lying area temporarily or permanently covered by shallow water.
11. The values of 0.1 and 0.4 micrograms per litre have been derived by applying a factor of x100 to the respective guideline values included in the ANZECC Australian Water Quality Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Waters, November 1992.
12. This approach may need to be reviewed should State or Territory air quality regulations be revised.
13. Licensing procedures currently employed by State and Territory governments provide the basis for this approach.
14. First General Administrative Decree under the Federal Air Quality Act, 1990(known as "TA Luft").
15. A guidance note for the disposal of non-scheduled solid PCB waste to landfill is at Appendix A to this plan.
16. US EPA Requirements for the Cleaning of Non-Porous Indoor and High Contact Surfaces (reference details as per footnote 8).
17. A guidance note for the disposal of non-scheduled liquid PCB waste is at Appendix B to this plan.