858 PCBs AND ASSOCIATED AROMATICS
not covered in the effluent standards that were eventually
promulgated.
Louw et al. “Vapor Phase Chemistry of Arenes. Part II.
Thermolysis of Chlorobenzene and Reactions with Aryl
Radicals and Chlorine and Hydrogen Atoms at 500°C”. The
pyrolysis of chlorobenzene was interpreted as a free radical
reaction sequence involving •C 6 H 4 Cl, •Cl and •H as carriers.
Kanechlor 500 and Aroclor 1254 were found to be carci-
nogenic in male mice [Ito 1973].
Dioctyl phthalate was introduced as a non-PCB dielec-
tric fluid for capacitors.
The OECD announced a decision in February 1973
to control the manufacture and trade of PCBs but allow
for the production of PCBs to be used in closed systems.
It recommended that Member countries give priority
attention to the elimination of PCBs in hydraulic liquids
(other than in mining), lubricating oils, vacuum pump
fluids and cutting oils and request that firms use, as PCB
replacements, materials which are less hazardous to human
health and the environment than the range of PCBs in use
(in 1973).
March 5, 1973: A spill of about 630 gallons of trans-
former oil occurred on State Highway 58, South of Kingston,
TN on March 5, 1973. The clean-up cost $1.7 million.
July 6, 1973: Federal Register lists PCBs in a proposed
list of toxics and pollutants.
July 6, 1973: Federal Register 38 , 18096 (1973): FDA
issued rules limiting sources by which PCBs may contami-
nate feed, food and packaging materials. Transformers were
specifically exempted from the restrictions.
September 7, 1973: In September 1973 EPA published a
list of “toxic pollutants” which included PCBs. The list was
unchanged from that published on July 6, 1973.
December 27, 1973: EPA proposed toxic pollutant efflu-
ent standards for the nine toxic substances, including PCBs
(38 FR 35388).1974The ANSI C-107 standard was issued in 1974 and at the time
it was approved the committee contained representatives
from electrical utilities, as well as IEEE.
The ANSI C-107 guide, in a section on risks, mentions
that “... limited amounts of PCBs can get into the environ-
ment during the manufacture, delivery, improper use, mainte-
nance, repair and disposal of transformers and capacitors. ”
Under §3.3 ‘Plant Housekeeping and Employee Safety’ it is
indicated that procedures and limits are given to be met by
manufacturers as well as users.
Large capacitors were to carry a caution label containing
the wording “ To avoid possible environmental contamina-
tion, it (PCB) should be disposed of only in supervised dry
landfill areas meeting state requirements or in incineration
facilities designed for disposal of PCBs. ”
It is mentioned in the guide that an askarel-filled trans-
former scrapped for any reason should be considered as a
source of materials requiring special handling and dis-
posal procedures. It was suggested that cellulosic materialsderived from the core/coil assembly should be incinerated
in a high temperature furnace while coil structures could be
solvent washed and subsequently treated as normal scrap.
The disposal of askarel waste, including liquid and solid
wastes could be done in controlled landfills or deep-wells
where permitted by federal, state and local regulations. New
transformers were to have a warning label which indicated
that care should be taken to prevent entry of PCBs into the
environment and that, in case of malfunctions or leaks, that
owners should consult the instruction manual or the manu-
facturer. Westinghouse’s instruction manuals already con-
tained [Westinghouse I.B. 45-063-99C effective August
1971] specific instructions on the material disposal require-
ments of both liquids and solids.
§4.2.3.6 describes two methods for the ultimate dis-
posal of askarel-filled transformers. One method involved
complete draining, dismantling and disposal of askarel-
soaked components using methods referred to earlier in
the standard. The second alternative states that disposition
of askarel transformers by means of junk or scrap dealers
should be avoided unless the units are first drained and
flushed.
The instructions for handling Westinghouse’s Inerteen
insulating fluid referenced the ANSI C107.1-1974 for com-
plete information on handling and disposal of Askarels.
The document also included a section on “Environmental
Considerations” which stated “It has been shown by several
laboratories that measurable amounts of the PCBs, particu-
larly those with more than 50% chlorination, are present in
the general environment and are a threat to certain species
of wild-life.... To be sure that the Inerteen and Inerteen
contaminated materials do not contaminate the environment
they must be incinerated in approved equipment.” A disposal
section in the handling instructions describes the disposal of
Inerteen liquid, solvent rinses contaminated with Inerteen,
solids contaminated with inerteen and the cleaning of con-
taminated drums.
ANSI C-107.1-1974 standard on “Guidelines for Handling
and Disposal of Capacitor- and Transformer-grade Askarels
Containing Plychlorinated Biphenyls” issued in 1974.
January 28, 1974: EPA held a thirty day evidentiary
hearing on the proposed effluent standards for the nine toxic
substances, including PCBs.
March 5, 1974: Federal Register 39 , 8325 (1974): Public
hearings on effluent standards.
March 15, 1974: A leak of 265 gallons of PCBs into the
Duwamish River in Seattle cost $148,000 for partial recov-
ery. Dredging of 50,000 cubic yards of river bottom in 1976
cost about $300,000.
March 21, 1974: Federal Register 39 , 10603 (1974):
Correction—Effluent Standards.
August 1974: Two local EPA personnel took samples of
fish, sediment and water below the GE outfall at Ft. Edward
and found 355 ppm PCB in the fish. The report was not acted
upon in EPA for a year until it finally reached a chemist at
EPA’s National Water Quality Laboratory in Duluth, Minn.
A review of the PCB report was written and sent to the EPA
regional office in New York.C016_003_r03.indd 858C016_003_r03.indd 858 11/18/2005 1:12:25 PM11/18/2005 1:12:25 PM