Laws covering PCB disposal
The Toxic Substances Control Act and the
federal PCB regulations (40 C.F.R. Part
761) describe the legal requirements that
apply to light ballasts. The regulations can
be found on EPA's homepage at
www.epa.gov/pcb.
If you have further questions, you can call
EPA's Office in Seattle at 1-800-424-4372
and ask to speak to Bernie Pribish at x5293
or Dan Duncan at x6693.
Remember to protect yourself and others in
your building by safely disposing of PCB-
containing light ballasts.
EPA910-F-99-009
For information on energy-saving light
programs contact the Energy Star Hotline
toll-free at:
1-888-STAR-YES
(1-888-782-7937)
or look on the web at:
www.epa.gov/greenlights.html
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle WA 98101-1128
Handling
Light Fixture
Ballasts
Safer
If you have fluorescent light fixtures
made before July 1979, this
information applies to you!
Even if you have replaced light ballasts
over the last few years to reduce PCB-
related risks or for energy conservation
projects, it is important to check any
ballasts you still have.
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Almost all fluorescent light fixtures made
before July 1979 have ballasts with
capacitors containing small amounts of
highly concentrated PCBs (polychlorinated
biphenyls). When these ballasts fail, PCBs
can leak out. PCBs can be harmful to kids
and adults. So it is a good idea to check
your light fixtures during regular
maintenance to see what condition the
ballasts are in.
Protect yourself and others
PCBs are easily absorbed through your skin
and can cause serious health problems if
not handled properly. To protect yourself
while inspecting fixtures, consider wearing:
_l rubber gloves
J goggles or a face shield to protect your
eyes
Check the light ballasts, not the tubes
The ballast is the electrical component for
the light fixture. It is usually located within
the fixture under a metal cover plate.
Sometimes the light fixture has the date of
manufacture on it. Sometimes the light
fixture is marked "no PCBs."
^l If the light fixture has no manufacture
date and is not marked "no PCBs,"
you should assume that the ballast
contains PCBs and check it
periodically for leaks. If it is leaking,
replace it immediately and dispose of
it properly.
J If the light fixture has a manufacture
date before July 1979, you should
assume that the ballast contains
PCBs and check it periodically for
leaks. If it is leaking, replace it
immediately and dispose of it
properly.
J If the light fixture has a manufacture
date later than July 1979 or is marked
"No PCBs," no inspections are
necessary.
Dispose of ballasts properly
Any ballast (unless it from a light fixture that
has a manufacture date later than July 1979
or is marked "No PCBs") must be securely
packaged in a container approved for PCB
disposal. The container must be marked
"Contains PCBs" and have an
accompanying manifest. The package must
be shipped by an authorized PCB
transporter or PCB commercial storer. DO
NOT USE ANY OTHER SHIPPING
METHOD. Licensed transporters or storers
can be found in the yellow pages under
"Environmental Consultants." If you decide
to replace many ballasts at the same time,
check with EPA to see if additional
requirements apply.
Why go to all this trouble?
There are two main reasons for properly
disposing of PCB ballasts.
1. When people are exposed to high levels
of PCBs, they could get sick. When
leaking PCB ballasts are not properly
cleaned up, the PCBs can be spread
around, increasing the possibility that
someone can be exposed to the
chemical. PCBs do not break down into
safer chemicals; instead they persist in
the environment for many years.
2. Failing to follow the law could cost you
money. Federal and state laws require
PCB-containing material to be handled
in very specific ways. Failure to follow
these laws can result in federal and
state penalties, which can cost you
many thousands of dollars.
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