Document QJ0zQ9d2myOK5Z4ngObZn84B7

*. ' UNITKO STATES environmental protection agency **MMIMOTON, D.c. Nl rncMii viiNcii MHtLTV PRIVtTI U*C IM U.l. IHVIRONWINTU PNOTretlON A St. Mr T iPi'in Environmental News *' ' FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, Acly (202) . Haughton (202) JANUARY 19, 1976 755-0344 755-0344 EPA ISSUES FINAL PCB WATER POLLUTION STANDARDS Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Russell E. ' Train today announced the issuance of final regulations which totally prohibit the discharge of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into waterways by certain industrial plants. "As a result of a formal and extensive review of our pre vious proposals, I have concluded that a total prohibition of direct discharges into the Nation's waters is fully justified," said Train. "PCBs have been shown to be highly toxic, per sistent and non-biodegradable. Also, there is reason to 7 tJO believe that PCBs may cause cancer in humans." I "The present problem of PCB contamination in the environ ment is so severe that in many waters throughout the United States PCB loads are already in excess of the criterion in our proposals, " Train said. "The final regulations being issued today represent significant progress in reducing future contamination of the environment by PCBs." The regulations were issued under Section 307(a) of the 1972* Water Pollution Control Act.. They do not cover indirect (more) Mww |Mt hl W itm 4m MOT wish Is #! tWs milsHil O. If ckMf* st sMtstt li ntetfsd CJ IMklll Cb*at. tAA FOAM itlOO IACV. >*> P-15 HONS 058349 tip ltM> -2 discharges through municipal scvsgc treatment plants, which will be dealt with in "pretreatment" regulations now being developed. - The regulations prohibit any discharge of TCBs by manu facturers of PCBs. Flents which use PCBs in the production Of electrical transformers and capacitors are subject to a Similar discharge prohibition. These industries are the principal specific (or "point") sources of PCP discharges to the Nation's waterways. Discharges from plants manufacturing electrical equipment have been identified as the source of high levels of PCBs in fish taken from parts of New York's Hudson River. This prompted the State to recommend limits on the consumption of sport fish and to ban commercial fishing in certain areas. Similar con trols havo been implemented to protect the public from high FCB levels in certain species of fish and Lakes Michigan and Ontario. High PCB levels resulting from discharges from plants manufacturing electrical equipment have been reported in various other rivers and lakes throughout the country. CPA's standards were developed to protect human health and organisms in the aquatic food chain. Laboratory tests conducted with a wide range of aquatic animals and mammals have demon strated a variety of toxic effects, including liver damage, tumors, and reproductive problems. HPA believes that the standards will provide an ample degree of safety to organisms which are likely to be exposed. Industries must meet the standards within one year. FPA analysis indicates that affected industries have the techno logy available to them to comply with the regulations without excessive impact on the economy cr on product prices at the consumer level. Host of the affected industries are expected to gradually eliminate their use of PCBs altogether over the next year. . BPA proposed toxic pollutant effluent standards for PCBs . in the July 23, 1976 Federal p.ecioter. Extensive hearings on the proposals were conducted by EPA during the period August through November 1976, during which much evidence was received on toxicity and the technological and economic feasibility of the proposed regulatory program. Testimony was received from a large number of witnesses, including representatives from both environmental groups and industry. . ' PCBs are highly mobile and remain present in the environ ment for many years. They are particularly harmful to aquatic organisms, in which they accumulate in concentrations many times greater than those found in surrounding waters. In ` (more) MOMS 056350 -3- many cases, these large concentrations are then passed up the aquatic food chain to consuning organisms, including man. About 1.25 billion pounds of PCDs have been used in the .. United States over the past 45 years. FPA estimates that at j least 3,000 pounds of PCDs arc discharged to the aquatic environment each year by industries subject to these regula tions. ' I' ;' . 1 11 . . ' i* 1' | ; i :i The Agency recognizes that these regulations can address only the problems of future contamination from industrial plant discharges. Past widespread use of the chemicals in the pro duction of lubricant additives, hydraulic and compressor fluid, carbonless copy paper, plasticizers, paints and other products has resulted in PCDs being present throughout the environment. Although most of theso uses have now been substantially cur tailed, PCDs which have entered the environment cannot, in most cases, be recovered and will require many years to degrade. ' The public will be alerted to potential hazards by careful long-term monitoring of PCD levels- in food. ` The promulgation of these standards now completes the performance by the Agency of the first major element of its under. taking to regulate the discharges of toxic pollutants into the Nation's waters under a consent decree entered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on June 9, 1976. This called upon the Agency to develop and promulgate toxic pollutant effluent standards for six compounds under Section 307(a) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. . , ! .; . . ' , . "The completion of this phase of our regulatory program substantially within the time frame set forth in the consent decree represents a major step forward in our efforts to con trol the discharge of toxic pollutants," Administrator Train said. Under the next phase of the decree, the Agency will develop effluent limitations, new source performance standards, end pretreatment standards for 21 major industries with sub stantial discharges of harmful pollutants. This phase Is scheduled for completion by the end of 1979. ; EPA's final regulations complement other related govern ment actions taken to reduce human exposure to PCDs. For ' ' example, the Food and Drug Administration has established ' tolerances for PCDs in food and has banned use of the chemicals in processing food and feed. The Department of the Interior has prohibited the use of PCDs in offshore oil operations. Also, EPA has proposed regulations (Federal P.egister, December 30, 1975) to control spills of numerous identified hazardous substances, . including PCDs. In addition, EPA has issued recommended pro cedures for disposal of FCEs by industrial users (Federal (Register, April, 1976). Also, thenewly enacted Toxic R-15 (more) hOAS 056331 -4 Substances Control Act prohibits the manufacture of PCBs after January 1, 1979 and prohibits all PCB processing and distribu tion in commerce after June 1, 1979. -- The standards will appear soon in the Federal Register. *t MOMS 058352 15