Why do we offer comprehensive PCB Management Solutions?
A PCB situation cannot always be solved with a single, simple solution. In managing a project involving PCBs, there are several important things to consider in order to achieve the overall goals of the project without, as the U.S. EPA states, risk to humans or the environment:
- Has the situation been assessed by an experienced PCB services provider?
- Is the provider experienced in working to secure permits and transport wastes?
- When PCBs are involved, often there is a degree of interaction with electricity and transformers. Is the provider trained and experienced in this area?
- How does the site remediation fit into the project?
- Are the project plans documented, clear, and presented upfront?
- Do the available processes provide the risk-free desired results economically?
When all of these questions are posed, their answers lead to a comprehensive PCB management solution. The project and processes must be packaged in a way to provide a safe, risk-free, government sanctioned, internationally recognized solution.
What are the stages of a PCB Management Project?
- Inventory of PCB Transformers and Equipment
- Knowing the potential exposure to the environment is typically the initial step. SDMI can help you by analyzing the oil in your transformers and we can even dispatch our technicians to pull the samples.
- Site Evaluation
- It is not uncommon to find spills and other environmental risks for exposure at a site. In storage yards, loose lids allow water in the transformer to displace oil and create spills and soil contamination.
- Spill and Operations Plans
- A responsible approach to the process must include clear expectations and procedures. Local fire, EMS, and environmental authorities are to be briefed on these plans. This approach greatly minimizes and, in most cases, eliminates the risks associated with PCBs and their handling.
- Operating Plan
- Spill Prevention and Countermeasure Control Plan
- The SPCC plan is one of the most important documents used to manage a PCB situation. It pertains to the initial clean-up and also to the management of the site in the future. The items to be formally addressed in a proper PCB management program include the following:
- Site Description
- Risk Assessment
- Record Keeping
- Transfer and Disposal
- Training Program
- Emergency Notification
- Evacuation Plan
- Spill Control
- Remediation Plans
- Safety Information
- Safety and training requirements
- Data and Record keeping
- National environmental agency support
- Mobilization, set-up, and training
- Design and construction of Oil Treatment Facility
- Draining of PCB and non-PCB fluids
- Processing and recycling of all transformers, tanks, and items via recycling, the Material Recovery Process, or certified disposal facility
- PCBX Oil Dechlorination and recycling of final oil
- PCB disposal of pure PCB items at approved sites
- Soil evaluation and remediation
- Reports and final closure of the project
- SDMI technical staff and management finalize the project with a closure report for the destruction, disposal, and certification of PCBs from your site. These documents serve as a responsible, respected “end of life” to the issues we were contracted to deliver. Reports issued by SDMI during the project:
- Documents for securing of permits
- PCB oil analysis
- Operating and SPCC plans
- Monthly status reports
- Shipping documents
- Final closure report
- Disposal certificates from approved waste disposal facilities
