United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Industrial Environmental Research
Laboratory
Research Triangle Park NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA-600/S2-81-240 August 1982
Project Summary
Technical Assistance in
Support of Permitting
Activities for the Thermal
Destruction of PCBs
Robert G. Mclnnes
The report describes phased efforts
to identify, evaluate, and provide tech-
nical permitting assistance to utility
boiler owners considering thermally
destroying PCB-contaminated mineral
oil. Identification initially concentrated
on identifying ideal PCB destruction
sites using size, age, location, and fuel
use criteria to evaluate available
boilers. This effort then extended to
directly contacting USEPA Regional
Offices to identify utility boiler owners
who had expressed an interest in the
PCB disposal program. Regular bi-
monthly contacts were initiated with
the Regional Offices and the status of
all regional PCB activities was tracked.
This contact produced three potential
PCB burn sites operated by: (1) Consol-
idated Edison of New York, (2) North-
east Utilities, and (3) Pennsylvania
Power and Light. Test plans were
received from the first two and were
reviewed and found acceptable: these
facilities, however, subsequently with-
drew their involvement with the PCB
destruction verification burn program
due to local community opposition.
The Pennsylvania Power and Light
Company site remains under active
consideration. By the end of the tech-
nical performance period of this work
assignment, a candidate site had not
been identified or approved for testing.
Appendices to this report detail the
utility boiler site selection methodol-
ogy, the status of PCB activities in
EPA Regional Offices as of May 1,
1981, and the test plan evaluations for
the Consolidated Edison and North-
east Utilities facilities.
The project also required that State
and Local Governments be provided
information needed to aid permitting
of a PCB verification burn. Under this
phase of the project a PCB "white
paper" was prepared which summar-
ized background technical information
used in writing the PCB regulation (40
CFR 761). A second paper was pre-
pared summarizing comments deliver-
ed at a public meeting entitled "What
Should We Be Doing About PCBs?"
Both of these papers are provided as
appendices to the report.
This Project Summary was develop-
ed by EPA's Industrial Environmental
Research Laboratory, Research Trian-
gle Park. NC, to announce key findings
of the research project that is fully
documented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
Introduction
In promulgating final rules for the
disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), the USEPA recognized that high
efficiency industrial and utility boilers
could provide an environmentally safe
alternative for destroying dielectric
fluids contaminated with from 50 to 500
-------
ppm of PCBs. To provide technical back-
ground for these rules, the EPA is
sponsoring a series of comprehensive
sampling programs at selected industrial
and utility sites. This report describes
phased efforts made to identify, evalu-
ate, and test a utility boiler when used to
thermally destroy PCB-contaminated
mineral oil. Included as part of this over-
all effort was the preparation of two
background documents on PCBs. These
documents summarized pertinent Fed-
eral regulatory actions in this area and
presented a broad perspective of view-
points on what should be done about
PCB disposal.
Results
Attempts to locate an acceptable
utility boiler for a PCB verification burn
in the first phase of this contract initially
concentrated on identifying ideal sites
by the size, age, location, and fuel of the
boilers. This effort then extended to
directly contacting EPA Regional Off ices
to identify utility boilers owner's who
had either expressed interest in the PCB
program or given EPA a formal 30-day
pre-burn notification. A regular bimonth-
ly contact was initiated with Regional
EPA Offices and the status of all Re-
gional PCB activities was tracked. This
contact coincided with a growing inter-
est by many utilities throughout the
country in utilizing their boilers for dis-
posing of PCB-contaminated dielectric
fluid generated within their own distri-
bution networks. This contact also pro-
duced, in sequence, three potential
verification burn sites: The Ravenswood
Plant of Consolidated Edison Company
of New York, Middletown (Connecticut)
Station of Northeast Utilities, and
Montour Station of Pennsylvania Power
and Light Company (PP&L). A test plan
was received and reviewed from Consol-
idated Edison and Northeast Utilities.
The PP&L unit remains under active
consideration. The test plan reviews
covered PCB regulations for a boiler
burning PCBs (40 CFR 761) and also
covered a standard operating plan for
the burn period and the existence of a
spill prevention and control program.
Since the data obtained during a verifi-
cation burn would be widely dissemi-
nated, it was felt that all aspects of the
burn should be completely documented.
Both sites reviewed had acceptable test
plans, but each eventually withdrew its
application to burn PCBs after substan-
tial community opposition, while the
second site continued to seekregulatory
approval but did not want the publicity
attendant with a verification burn, again
due to community pressures. The third
site is proceeding slowly with its appli-
cation. It is holding regular meetings
with local citizens groups in an attempt
to satisfy their concerns before an
official application is made.
The second phase of this contract
required that state and local govern-
ments be provided information needed
to aid permitting of a burn. Under this
effort a PCB "white paper" was pre-
pared which summarized background
technical information utilized in writing
PCB Regulations(40 CFR 761). A second
paper was prepared on comments deliv-
ered at a public meeting entitled "What
Should We Be Doing About PCBs?" This
forum brought together speakers from
the industrial, public health, regulatory,
academic, utility, and local government
sectors to discuss the various viewpoints
of PCB disposal in utility boilers. This
program could serve as a model for
similar meetings dealing with hazardous
waste disposal.
Appendices to the project report in-
clude a list of potential verification burn
sites, comments on two utility boiler test
plan submittals, an updated status of
regional EPA PCB activity, a PCB "white
paper," and a summary of comments
presented at the public meeting pre-
viously mentioned.
Technical assistance continues to be
provided to EPA Regional Offices, states,
and industry to aid the permitting pro-
cess through subsequent contract ef-
forts.
Robert G. Mclnnes is with GCA Corporation, GCA/Technology Division, Bedford,
MA 01730.
David C. Sanchez is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Technical Assistance in Support of Permitting
Activities for the Thermal Destruction of PCBs," f Order No. PB 82-23 J 325;
Cost: $ 10.50; subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
ft U.S.GOVERNMENTPRIHTING OFFICE-1962 -559-017/0760
-------
Postage and
United States Center for Environmental Research Fees Paid
Environmental Protection Information Environmental
Agency Cincinnati OH 45268 Protection
Agency
EPA 335
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
PS 0000339
U S ENVIR PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION 5 LIBRARY
230 S DEARBORN STREET
CHICAGO IL 60604
------- |