The Nation : EPA Proposes Continual PCB Tracking

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a “cradle-to-grave” tracking system for PCBs, a highly toxic chemical used mainly in electrical transformers. The proposal would require companies that generate, transport, store or dispose of PCB wastes to notify the EPA of all shipments of the substance, which does not break down easily in the environment and can accumulate in animal and human tissue. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are particularly poisonous when burned. Under the new rules, PCB waste shipments must be accompanied by documents specifying their contents, and waste handlers must alert the EPA if the materials they receive do not match the paper work. All PCB waste handlers also will be required to register with the EPA and receive identification numbers.