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BACKGROUND TO POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS REGULATIONS (PCBs)

BACKGROUND TO POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS REGULATIONS (PCBs). WESTERN CAPE AMEU MEETING 15 August 2014. Presentation Outline. Stockholm Conventions and its Obligations Background on Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) PCB Management in South Africa

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BACKGROUND TO POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS REGULATIONS (PCBs)

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  1. BACKGROUND TO POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS REGULATIONS (PCBs) WESTERN CAPE AMEU MEETING 15 August 2014

  2. Presentation Outline • Stockholm Conventions and its Obligations • Background on Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) • PCB Management in South Africa • Development of Municipal PCB Inventory and phase-out plan • Outcome of PCB Inventory Development in Western Cape Province • PCB Regulation • Roles and Responsibilities

  3. Stockholm Convention & Its Obligations • Main objective of Convention - to protect human health and the environment from Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) by controlling POPs or phasing them out • POPs are a class of chemical pollutants that are do not degrade easily, (i.e. can still be found in soil, lakes, rivers, animals, humans long after they are used), can travel long distances. • South Africa became a party to the Convention on 4September 2002 and DEA is focal point and Designated National Authority • The Convention lists chemicals as POPs and currently listed 23 chemicals as POPs (12 initially listed & 11 listed recently). PCBs are one of the initially listed POPs • The Stockholm Convention’s obligations wrt PCBs: • Phase out the use of Equipment containing more that 50ppm PCB by 2025 • Dispose of PCB containing waste by 2028

  4. Background on PCBs • PCBs are a class of synthetic organic chemicals which are fire resistant and have high resistance to thermal breakdown • Since the early 1930s PCBs have been widely used as dielectric fluids in electrical transformers and capacitors • The worldwide production of PCB ceased in 1989 • PCBs never produced in SA but PCB imported for use mainly in equipment used for electricity generation and distribution by: • Main power utility • Municipalities generating and distributing electricity • Steel industry • Mining industry • Cement industry • Transport • Some municipalities licensed by NERSA to distribute electricity own & manage transformers and capacitors which could contain PCB oils

  5. PCB Management in South Africa • The SANS Code 290:2007 has been developed • It identifies materials containing between 51-500 ppm as PCB contaminated, and • …in excess of 500 ppm are regarded as PCB materials • Import and export of PCBs is now banned through the Custom Excise Act (through SARS) • Hazardous Substances Act (of Dept of Health) – list the PCBs as group II substances • Regulations to phase-out PCBs currently being developed - approved by Minister 10 July 2014 • Regulations oblige every PCB holder including municipalities to: • Develop an inventory of PCB equipment • Develop phase-out plans • Phase-out the use by 2023 • Dispose off resulting wastes by 2026

  6. Development of Municipal Inventories and PCB Phase-Out Plans As a pro-active measure to assist municipalities to comply with sub-regulation 6(1) of the promulgated PCB Regulations: Re Submission of phase-out plans • DEA appointed a consultant (Basia) to assist with development of PCB inventory for municipalities • This was due to lack of capacity within the municipalities – ito finance and personnel to undertake activities associated with phasing out of PCBs • However, very few municipalities provided required information e.g. Equipment’s PCB concentrations, date of manufacture, number of equipment, etc. Outcome of PCB inventory exercise in municipalities of Western Cape Province – next slide

  7. Outcome of PCB Inventory: Western Cape • Written notifications that the municipality is not in possession of PCB containing equipment were received from the following municipalities: • Theewaterskloof Local Municipality • Overstrand Local Municipality • Breede Valley Local Municipality • Langeberg Local Municipality • The rest of the municipalities did not provide any data

  8. Presentation outline

  9. Legislative Background

  10. 1.Definitions

  11. 2. Purpose

  12. 3. Phase out Timeframes

  13. 4. General Prohibitions

  14. 5. Phase-out plans

  15. 6. Reporting

  16. Offences and Penalties

  17. Role & Responsibilities

  18. Thank You--- Directorate: Hazardous Chemicals Management Ms Margaret Molefe T:(012) 399 9845 E: smolefe@environment.gov.za MsMangakaMahlako T: (012) 399 9850 E: mmahlako@environment.gov.za MsXoliJila T: (012) 399 9849 E: xjila@environment.gov.za

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