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REQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is California's requirement for the disposal of fluorescent light ballasts which contain PCBs'. Fluorescent light ballasts which contain PCBs are considered hazardous waste and must be trans- ported and disposed of as hazardous waste. IbM ;s no seem ion or cutoff number becau Oyn,*+ of ballasts_ being disMr& The disposal options for fluorescent light ballasts which contain PCBs (§66268.110 of Title 22. CCR) are either 1) incineration in an incinerator permitted to burn PCB wastes, or 2) placement in lab packs and then disposed in a hazardous waste landfill. What are some of the other waste management options for PCBs' Retrofilling and dechlorination arc two commer- cially available technologies used for eliminating PCBs in transformer oil. Several companies that have been operating in California for a number of years and are in compliance.with both State and Federal PCB regulatory requirements offer this type of service in California. Essentially, these technologies either remove or destroy the PCB molecules in the transformer oil thereby lowering the concentration of PCBs to permit -required or client -desired levels of treatment. Transformer decommissioning is an option that entails a further rinsing and cleaning of the transformer carcass after which the carcass is physically disassembled and the different metal sections separated and recovered for their metal recycling value. What is California's requirement for PCB spills' As a general rule, California uses U.S. EPA's PCB Spill Cleanup Policy which is published in 40 CFR, Pan 761, Subpart G, for guidance concerning PCB cleanup levels. There are many different scenarios which can result from the spillage of oil containing pCBs ranging from a spill on a roadway to small seepage on a transformer pad. Lasted below are the agencies which might become involved or require notification as a result of a PCB spill: California Office of Emergency Services tOES) (800) 852-7550 Spills that are of immediate danger to nearby inhabitants or the environment. EPA Region 9 (415) 744-1087 Assistance with any U.S. EPA reporting require- ments or PCB -related technical support- NationalResponse Center (NRC) (800)424-8802 All new spills containing more than 50 ppm PCB should be reported to U.S. EPA within 24 hours of spill discovery. All spills involving 10 pounds or more of PCBs by weight must be reported to the NRC. Department of Toxic Substances Control Regional Offices Region I — Sacramento (916) 255-3545 Region 1 — Fresno (209) 297-3901 Region 2 — Berkeley (510) 540-2122 Region 3 — Glendale (8 18) 551-2800 Region 4 — Long Beach (310) 590-4868 Spills of any type of hazardous waste should be reported to the nearest DTSC regional office. Depending on the PCB spill location, the regional office might have you contact the local city or county health department to handle any spill reports that might be required. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment — Proposition 65 Requirements (916)445-6900 They require notification of PCB spills that may potentially be released into sources of drinking water. 4 .1