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EPA rules on shipment of PCB to mainland US
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Posted on Jan 23 2001
The US Environmental Protection Agency has signed the rule to allow polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated materials from the territories outside the federal customs zone to be shipped to the mainland US for disposal.
The newly-signed rule, according to Guam Rep. Robert A. Underwood, specifically mentioned Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Marianas, and the US Virgin Islands.
“After several months of discussion and rule making, we’re very happy to report that this has now been resolved. This is great news for Guam — even greater news for the Northern Marianas, which continues to suffer with PCB problems from formerly-used defense sites in Saipan,” Mr. Underwood said.
It means that from now on, American territories outside the US Customs Zone will be able to move PCBs to disposal facilities in the mainland US.
The new rule ends a long-fought effort which began with only an exemption from the federal law governing the transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes and a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club/Earth Justice League against the EPA for allowing the exemption.
Last November, when the proposed rule was published in the Federal Register, the Sierra Club/Earth Justice League again threatened to oppose it.
“The main concern of the Sierra Club, at the end of the day, was that Guam not be used as a transshipment point for PCBs originating from foreign areas. And, of course, we feel the same way,” said Mr. Underwood.
He added that the Department of Defense supported the proposed rule but made a recommendation to expand it to allow the transshipment of PCBs from US bases in foreign areas through Guam and into the US
“I was against that recommendation, and I’m glad that U.S. EPA did not agree to it,” Mr. Underwood said.
One of the provisions of the new rule specifically protects Guam from being used as a dumping ground, storage site or transshipment point for foreign PCBs.
